St Andrews

 I spoke at a meeting at the University of St Andrews yesterday evening, which gave me the chance to revisit the historical sights in this fine old town. 

The original castle was built at the end of the 12th century, although what remains is the rebuilt castle from 1401. St Andrews was the religious headquarters of the church in Scotland, but the bishops were also secular rulers, running their estates from this castle. It had many famous prisoners. During the Scottish Reformation, the castle became a centre of religious persecution and controversy. Referring to the bottle dungeon, the Scottish reformer, John Knox, wrote, "Many of God's Children were imprisoned here." 

The most famous events took place in 1546, when David Beaton imprisoned the Protestant preacher George Wishart and had him burnt at the stake in front of the castle walls on 1 March. In May of the same year, Wishart's friends entered the castle disguised as masons while building work was underway. After overcoming the garrison, they murdered Cardinal Beaton and hung his body from his window on the front of the castle. A subsequent siege badly damaged the castle, including a bombardment by a French fleet.

The Cathedral was built nearby at around the same time. It fell into decline after the Reformation. 

The University has a small museum, The Wardlaw, that includes both the university and the town.

The University is Scotland's oldest and was recently rated the best in the UK, above Oxford and Cambridge. The buildings are superb, and the students were very engaged in my meeting. 

Finally, St Andrews is the home of golf. I will spare you the sad story of my past performances here, but it was a glorious evening for a game.