St Andrews Castle

There is currently no access to the mine, countermine and foretower. Apologies for any disappointment.

On a headland to the north of St Andrews stand the ruins of the city's castle, the main residence of the bishops and archbishops of St Andrews and the focal point of the church in medieval Scotland.

Explore the underground 16th-century siege mine and counter-mine, and the 'bottle dungeon', one of the most infamous castle prisons in medieval Britain, which was cut out of the solid rock. John Knox and George Wishart may have been imprisoned in this dank and airless space, and this is where its believed Cardinal Beaton’s body was kept when he was murdered in 1546.

There is a visitor centre, with wheelchair access, and a display with multi-sensory aspects for visitors with visual impairments. There is no access to the bottle dungeon, mines or upper floors of the castle for visitors using wheelchairs or with limited mobility.

Save with an Explorer Pass

An Explorer Pass, valid for 14 consecutive days, is a great way to explore our iconic sites.

We advise checking ahead if the forecast is poor or if you are making a long journey. From Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm short-term closures are listed on our closures page. At the weekends and on bank holidays this page will not be updated, and any unexpected closures will be posted only on X (formerly Twitter) using #HSclosure. If you have an urgent enquiry related to a site closure and your booking over the weekend please get in touch with ticketing@hes.scot