St Andrews

St Andrews stands on the coast of Fife, its cathedral and castle looking towards the North Sea. The shrine of St Andrew made the town a great centre of pilgrimage and the seat of Scotland's leading bishop. In 1413 papal recognition established its university, the first in Scotland, adding a renowned seat of learning to its ecclesiastical importance.

The town was drawn into the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century. In 1546 opponents of Cardinal David Beaton murdered him and seized the castle, beginning a long siege of the stronghold. John Knox joined the garrison as its preacher before French forces helped the besiegers take the castle in 1547. The Reformation of 1560 ended the cathedral's old role, and its buildings gradually fell into ruin.