This castle is located right by the sea in the historic old town of Saint Andrews in Fife on the east coast of Scotland.
Founded as early as 1200 by Bishop Roger for use as his episcopal palace, it was dismantled and rebuilt many times during the Wars of Independence. It also served as a fortress and state prison. It is thought that James III may have been born here in 1451 and his father, James II, stayed here often.
The oldest part of the ruins date back to the 13th century but much of what can be seen today was built in the mid-16th century by Archbishop Hamilton. In 1645, the town was starting to dwindle and parts of the castle masonry were used to repair the harbour walls. In 1911 it was finally placed in State care and arrangements were later made to protect it from the encroaching sea. Of particular interest to visitors is the mine and counter-mine tunnelled through the rock during the 1546 siege, also the bottle dungeon in the Sea Tower.
I painted this watercolour while in St. Andrews, famous as the birthplace of golf, St. Andrews offers a lot more if you spend some time round the harbour, and of course these ancient ruins. This unframed watercolour measures 210mm x 143mm.
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