St Andrews was founded on the legend that the bones of the Christian apostle St Andrew were brought here. Pilgrims flocked to St Andrews from all over Europe to worship the saint’s relics, and he became the patron saint of Scotland. The saltire cross – the flag of St Andrew – was subsequently adopted as the national emblem.
From those early days, religion was a strong influence in the development of St Andrews. Celtic monks built the chapel of St Mary on the Rock, the ruins of which still stand near St Andrews harbour, and the imposing St Rule’s Tower was initially part of the first church of the Augustinian priory in St Andrews.
St Andrews’ great Cathedral – constructed in 1160 – was for seven centuries the largest building in Scotland. Its majesty helped to establish St Andrews as the centre of the country’s religious life, which in turn helped St Andrews to become hugely influential in Scottish political circles.
Medieval St Andrews supported two friaries: one founded by the Dominicans (Blackfriars), whose ruined chapel still remains on South Street, and later another by the Franciscans (Greyfriars) for whom the only remaining mark on St Andrews is a street name.
Religion is also a key influence in the story of St Andrews Castle. The original castle was built sometime around the year 1200 A.D. and served as both fortress and residential palace for the Bishops and Archbishops of St Andrews. Later, it housed John Knox and other Protestant reformers.
The 16th Century was the most turbulent period in the history of St Andrews. The (Catholic) Archbishop of St Andrews, Cardinal David Beaton, was the leader of the anti-Protestant movement within the Scottish church and had orchestrated the trials and executions of several ‘heretics’. When Beaton arranged for the trial and burning at the stake of leading Protestant George Wishart in 1546, St Andrews became an even more volatile place. Before long, Beaton too was dead – a victim of an assassination.
The Calvinist John Knox came to live and preach in St Andrews, but was captured from St Andrews Castle by French Catholic forces in 1549 and enslaved. When Knox returned in 1559, he preached a fiery sermon in Holy Trinity Church which reputedly sparked off a riot amongst the congregation. St Andrews Cathedral was sacked by Knox’s followers, and this effectively signalled the end of the town’s religious influence in Scotland.
St Andrews is scattered with reminders of these bloody times. Martyrs’ Monument, on The Scores, commemorates the Protestant reformers who died, and markings on street cobblestones indicate where executions took place. Look out for those of Patrick Hamilton outside St Salvator’s Quad, and George Wishart just outside St Andrews Castle.
Even after the end of the tumultuous Reformation, St Andrews was unable to rest in peace. Men and women accused of witchcraft were thrown into the sea below The Scores. If they drowned in ‘Witch Lake’ they were declared innocent; if they swam to shore, they were deemed guilty, seized and burned at the stake at nearby Bow Butts.
Christianity of all sorts now thrives in St Andrews. There are a plethora of churches serving the community, including several dating back to before the Reformation. St Salvator’s Chapel, St Leonard’s Chapel, and Holy Trinity Church were all built in the 1400s and still host acts of worship today.
