St Andrews Castle (2)
I am here very early in the morning, enjoying the clear light from a sky washed clean by yesterday's rain. There are a couple of dog walkers abroad already, but otherwise, my drone shouldn't disturb anybody, particularly as I plan to stay mostly out to sea. I stayed last night in a camp site just outside the town and have driven in and parked beside the harbour, which is on the extreme left, just outside the town walls. The castle is just out of shot to the right, the photo mostly being taken up by religious remains.
The remains of three churches are visible here, two within the city wall and one without. Unfortunately, following the Reformation, they were all pillaged for their stone, which is why so little remains. The oldest of the three is identifiable by the tall tower in the centre of the photo. St Rule's Church (St Rule = St Regulus) was a monastic church, built here by Celtic monks known as the the Céli Dé or the Culldees, who started building it in 1123. The chancel of the church is the low bit to the left of the tower, the rest has all gone. The tower is said to have been built so high in order to act as a beacon to pilgrims.
The Culldees were not to enjoy their new church for long. The church of Rome had arrived in Scotland in 1068 with Margaret of Wessex, the (second) queen of King Malcolm III. Born in exile, Margaret's mother was Hungarian and Margaret grew up in an extremely religious environment in the court of King Andrew I, known as "Andrew the Catholic" for his extreme aversion to pagans and great loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church. This seems to have rubbed off on Margaret, who on arriving in Scotland and marrying Malcolm, made it her life's work to replace the ancient (and rather likable) Columban church with the Catholic Church. Rome was so pleased that she was subsequently canonised! It was due to all this that the Church of St Rule was granted to the Augustinian monks.
Although displaced, the Culldees continued to play an important role in the religious life of St Andrews and built a new collegiate church nearby, known as the church of St Mary on the Rock, the partial cruciform foundations of which can be seen on the area of mown grass towards the bottom left of the photo, with its altar base at the east (left) end. Although the church remained in use for a little while after the Reformation, by 1645 the site was being used for the construction of an artillery fort, designed to defend the harbour. It wasn't until the 19th century that the church foundations were rediscovered.
Following their takeover of the the site, the Augustinians started building the cathedral in 1158. Construction took nearly 150 years, being completed in 1318, during which time St Rule's Church remained in use. Once finished, the new cathedral became the centre of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland and the seat of the Archdiocese of St Andrews. In June 1559 during the Reformation, a Protestant mob incited by the preaching of John Knox ransacked the Cathedral, destroying the interior of the building.
(There was much to dislike about the post-medieval Catholic church, but I often wonder whether what replaced it was any more virtuous!)
St Andrews Castle (2)
I am here very early in the morning, enjoying the clear light from a sky washed clean by yesterday's rain. There are a couple of dog walkers abroad already, but otherwise, my drone shouldn't disturb anybody, particularly as I plan to stay mostly out to sea. I stayed last night in a camp site just outside the town and have driven in and parked beside the harbour, which is on the extreme left, just outside the town walls. The castle is just out of shot to the right, the photo mostly being taken up by religious remains.
The remains of three churches are visible here, two within the city wall and one without. Unfortunately, following the Reformation, they were all pillaged for their stone, which is why so little remains. The oldest of the three is identifiable by the tall tower in the centre of the photo. St Rule's Church (St Rule = St Regulus) was a monastic church, built here by Celtic monks known as the the Céli Dé or the Culldees, who started building it in 1123. The chancel of the church is the low bit to the left of the tower, the rest has all gone. The tower is said to have been built so high in order to act as a beacon to pilgrims.
The Culldees were not to enjoy their new church for long. The church of Rome had arrived in Scotland in 1068 with Margaret of Wessex, the (second) queen of King Malcolm III. Born in exile, Margaret's mother was Hungarian and Margaret grew up in an extremely religious environment in the court of King Andrew I, known as "Andrew the Catholic" for his extreme aversion to pagans and great loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church. This seems to have rubbed off on Margaret, who on arriving in Scotland and marrying Malcolm, made it her life's work to replace the ancient (and rather likable) Columban church with the Catholic Church. Rome was so pleased that she was subsequently canonised! It was due to all this that the Church of St Rule was granted to the Augustinian monks.
Although displaced, the Culldees continued to play an important role in the religious life of St Andrews and built a new collegiate church nearby, known as the church of St Mary on the Rock, the partial cruciform foundations of which can be seen on the area of mown grass towards the bottom left of the photo, with its altar base at the east (left) end. Although the church remained in use for a little while after the Reformation, by 1645 the site was being used for the construction of an artillery fort, designed to defend the harbour. It wasn't until the 19th century that the church foundations were rediscovered.
Following their takeover of the the site, the Augustinians started building the cathedral in 1158. Construction took nearly 150 years, being completed in 1318, during which time St Rule's Church remained in use. Once finished, the new cathedral became the centre of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland and the seat of the Archdiocese of St Andrews. In June 1559 during the Reformation, a Protestant mob incited by the preaching of John Knox ransacked the Cathedral, destroying the interior of the building.
(There was much to dislike about the post-medieval Catholic church, but I often wonder whether what replaced it was any more virtuous!)