St. Andrews Castle was the main residence for the bishops around 1200 A.D. and later the archbishops of St Andrews. Not only did their residence reflect their high status but it also was prepared to defend them and the property of the church. It was a very highly fortified castle. Steep cliffs protect it on the north and east sides while deep ditches cut into the rock protected it from landward approaches.
Much of the castle is heavily ruined. This is the combined result of the siege of 1546-7 and neglect.
One of the most interesting and unique parts of the castle grounds is the mine and countermine remains from the 1547 siege.
The entrance looks very easy, but...
...the further down you go, the more you have to stoop and duck your head.
No injuries occurred during this tour.
We made it to the end and afterward one of the nice men, impressed that we (I) made it all the way, showed us above ground where the mines led. There were many "false starts" making them difficult to trace until a house was being constructed across the street and one of the workmen fell through to part of the mine!
The castle, like so many others of its time, not only housed high-status residence, but it also contained a dungeon for prisoners. The dungeon at St Andrews was a "bottle dungeon", skinny and steep neck and wide at the bottom. It's hard to imagine once a prisoner was down there that they could ever get out.
John Knox, Scottish Protestant Reformer, preached and called for the people to tear down the icons. Many of the stones of the cathedral were removed and now can be seen in the construction of various buildings throughout St Andrews.
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