Popular historic landmarks in Fife reopen to the public

The two landmarks reopened to the public last Friday, after closing in March due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The two historic sites, which are managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), have been part of the town’s history for 700 years, with the castle having been a bishop’s palace, a fortress and a state prison during its 450-year history.

It was also the scene of the infamous murder of the Catholic Cardinal David Beaton, as well as the great siege of 1546/47, when the church reformer John Knox was one of the garrison.

The magnificent ruins of the cathedral, which date back to 1130, is Scotland’s largest and most magnificent medieval church.

To get both sites ready to welcome visitors, some changes have been implemented to ensure people can safely enjoy and explore the attraction. This includes one-way systems in some locations and the closure of some indoor areas where physical distancing is not possible; including the castle’s bottle dungeon and basement cell in the Sea Tower, cellar, mine and countermine, and the cathedral’s St Rules Tower. Remote access to closed areas of the site are also being put in place with virtual tours of the spaces available to visitors by scanning QR codes.

Visitors will also be required to pre-book tickets to manage capacity on site and will be asked to wear face coverings when entering any internal spaces in line with Scottish Government guidance.

Alex Paterson, chief executive of HES, said: “Our historic sites are internationally renowned symbols of Scotland, and their reopening is an important milestone not only for our organisation, but for the country as a whole as we continue on our journey to recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“With over 300 sites across Scotland, each of which have a unique offering we have been opening our sites on a phased basis, with 70 per cent of them open by mid-September.

“We know how keen people are to access historic sites and are pleased to be able to open up both St Andrews Castle and its magnificent cathedral.”