Historically, castles are inhabited by monarchs and a royal family. For this castle, constructed in about 1200 and in use until 1689, the castle was inhabited by Scottish Medieval Catholic archbishops. To save commute time or Uber expense for the bishops, the castle is adjacent to St. Andrews Cathedral, also medieval ruins. It served as the Scotland’s ecclesiastical center during the years before the Protestant Reformation. The castle was destroyed in the Wars of Scottish Independence and rebuilt several times as it was occupied by Scotts and the English invaders. Shortly after the 1296 Berwick invasion by England’s Edward the First and prepared for the English king to occupy in 1303. St. Andrews Castle became a de facto tennis ball, in a match between the Brits and Scots until 1336, when the Scots destroyed it to prevent the English for again taking it as a stronghold. Keep in mind that this castle was first constructed 292 years before Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. Scotland’s interior was little inhabited, since goods were transported by ships. Logic dictated that cities be located at harbors or along the banks of tidal rivers, such as Washing D.C. Strolling about the grounds, views of the harbor are phenomenal. Sad that so little of Scottish history is taught in American public schools.

Very interesting history at St Andrews Castle. Audio guide is well worth it. £10 entry for adults (national trust cards not accepted but English Heritage cards are). Toilets and gift shop on site but no cafe. Fascinating history of the castle during the reformation period.

I visited the castle when I was a child and could remember the tunnels being fascinating. Returning recently, I was not disappointed how interesting the whole experience was. The audio guide that is now available was excellent and my partner and I, agreed it was well worth the money and time. All the staff were so friendly as well.

I visited here with a family member and 2 teenagers and we all enjoyed it. The castle and grounds are lovely, very picturesque and there are a lot of benches in the grounds to relax and enjoy the views. We went down the mine too, it wasn't as small and narrow as I had expected, definitely worth a try. The shop has some nice wee souvenirs. Entry is £10 an adult which i thought was a bit expensive but it's worth a visit.

We visited the castle on a recent trip to Dundee and St Andrews. What a fabulous experience… from start to finish we were enthralled with the audio descriptors. It transported us back in time to a much darker place in history. We listened intently to the personal story of a young man not more than 10 summers whose life was changed overnight as a bloody murder took place. Please visit this wonderful historical site to hear about this young boys experiences.

Lovely castle and the mine / counter mine were excellent !! Very eerie but what a setting! The beach just below was where we spent a good hour searching for pebbles to take back home. Castle had some bits closed off for Maintenence. My kind of castle to explore. Relatively quiet and not many people.

Now you go through some information first which is well done and Informative . When you go outside you go into the castle which overlooks the sea. You can envision how it was back in the day. Now actually this is what is left even from the 1700’s , but it is worth the visit. The street it is on is one of more exclusive homes of St Andrews. It is near St Andrews University.

The beginning self guided tour gives a good background and the grounds with the remaining structures are amazing. You can go into the mine shafts dug by the fighters defending and invading the castle and can climb most of the structures to get amazing views. Castle is east to get to and right next to university and the Cathedral. Would highly recommend checking it out.