Tour Scotland Winter Photograph Videos Storm Waves Castle Coast St Andrews Fife

Tour Scotland Winter video of storm waves by the Castle and Coast in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. St Andrew's Castle is a ruin located on a rocky promontory overlooking a small beach called Castle Sands and the adjoining North Sea. During the Wars of Scottish Independence, the castle was destroyed and rebuilt several times as it changed hands between the Scots and the English. Soon after the sack of Berwick in 1296 by King Edward I of England, the castle was taken and made ready for the English king in 1303. In 1314, however, after the Scottish victory at the Battle of Bannockburn, the castle was retaken and repaired by Bishop William Lamberton, Guardian of Scotland, a loyal supporter of King Robert the Bruce. The English had recaptured it again by the 1330s and reinforced its defences in 1336, but to no avail. Sir Andrew Moray, Regent of Scotland in the absence of David II, recaptured it after a siege lasting three weeks. Shortly after this, in 1336, it was destroyed by the Scots to prevent the English from once again using it as a stronghold. It remained in this ruined state until Bishop Walter Trail rebuilt it at the turn of the century. His castle forms the basis of what can be seen today. He completed work on the castle in about 1400 and died within its walls in 1401. Several notable figures spent time in the castle over the next several years. King James I of Scotland, born 1406, died 1437, received part of his education from Bishop Henry Wardlaw, the founder of St Andrews University in 1410. A later resident, Bishop James Kennedy, was a trusted advisor of James II of Scotland. In 1445 the castle was the birthplace of King James III of Scotland. During those years, the castle also served as a notorious prison. The castle's bottle dungeon is a dank and airless pit cut out of solid rock below the north west tower. It housed local miscreants who fell under the Bishop's jurisdiction as well as several more prominent individuals such as David Stuart, Duke of Rothesay in 1402, Duke Murdoch in 1425, and Archbishop Patrick Graham, who was judged to be insane and imprisoned in his own castle in 1478.

Tour Scotland Winter photograph of storm waves by the Castle and Coast in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland.

Tour Scotland Winter video of storm waves by the Castle and Coast in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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