Spring St Salvator's Chapel Clock Tower St Andrews Fife Scotland

Tour Scotland Spring 4K travel video of the Clock Tower on St Salvator's Chapel on visit to St Andrews, Fife. The most impressive feature of the Salvator's Chapel is the college tower. Rising up above the main entrance to the old college, the tower was originally finished with a flat summit. Thus it closely resembled the ancient tower of St Rule incorporated into Bishop Kennedy's cathedral. However, a stone spire was added in the middle of the 16th century. One suspects that this addition had more to do with preventing a repetition of the events of 1547, when the tower was used as a gun emplacement, than out of any aesthetic motivation. The college tower is a severe yet effective piece of architecture. Ornament is used with elegant restraint. At its base, the archway giving entrance to the college court is surmounted by a richly carved panel depicting the arms of Bishop Kennedy supported by two angels and flanked by tall canopied niches. Above this group the tower rises plain and unadorned to the stringcourse upon which the belfry openings rest. There are tall, twin openings on each face of the tower. A clock seems to have been a feature of the tower from the earliest times, and it is likely that it was situated much as it is today, immediately below the belfry.

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

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.