One of the beauties about Scotland is it's history. We have had our fair share of religious turmoil over the ages.
Today we are going to visit the site of some such religious turmoil albeit 500 years later!
St Andrews lies 30 miles (50 kilometres) northeast of Edinburgh and became the ecclesiastical capital of Scotland, a position which was held until the Scottish Reformation.
So let's go visit.
West Port Gate
When you are driving or even walking, hang a right from the A915 (Bridge St) at the Whey Pat Tavern onto the A918 (South St) and step through the best preserved city gate in Scotland, leading to the heart of the medieval town.
Yes you need to go under the West Port Gate.
I am paid up member of Historic Environment Scotland and this is what they say about the gate.
As per the Historic Environment Scotland Statement of Significance for West Port Gate
The West Port is the sole surviving entrance gate into the burgh of St Andrews, and one of only two town gates surviving in Scotland. Built in 1589, on the site of an earlier gate leading into South Street, the gateway was 'completely renovated' in 1843.
The property consists of a central round-arched entrance flanked on its west(outer) face by two polygonal towers, each pierced by a gunhole. The whole structure is topped by a corbelled parapet adorned with cannon waterspouts and two carved panels dating from the 1843 renovation.
I love the stone work and yes some of it is renovated but they did it tastefully.
I like the bicycle stands and the metal is matched by the big flower pot things.
As so often is the case, the inside is not as pretty as the outside. However it is functional and you can see the red and white no entry sign for vehicles.
I can imagine it would have been all too easy to have traffic accidents if two way traffic was allowed!
South Street or the A918 (who the fluff calls it the A918!)
The view going up South Street as per our wonderful dapp Worldmappin
The view going up South Street as per my camera on my wonderful Google Pixel 9 XL Pro.
More of that gorgeous stonework.
Isn't it pure mental that you go wandering up a normal street and walk past something that is 500 years old. Yes 500 fluffing years old!
Priories and beer
You know many monasteries and priories used to brew beer.
The name Blackfriars is also the name of a couple of pubs that I have drunk beer in.
So did they brew beer here in Blackfriars 500 years ago?
The Universe might think so, because opposite Blackfriars Chapel is a modern day brewery of Scotland!
What about the view from this BrewDog?
There it is, across the zebra crossing or is it a pedestrian crossing, I always get confused , however there is no mistaking the fact that this is ...
Blackfriars Chapel
Is it me but it even looks like a wee chapel!
Let's go in closer...Do you see the sign?
The chapel is slightly below current street level, so to take a picture of the full sign we have to be by the railing.
We shall come back to that picture in a minute but first let's go round to ...
The back
You can see South St from the grass, but talking of the grass, let's look at what there is, as that was the old building area.
You can see that the grassy area perimeter is actually fenced off with a mural.
As St Andrews is on the coast I think this was a wee homage to the fishermen amongst us.
It looks so real! Although I am pretty sure the harbour wall was damaged last year in a huge storm.
There were many Dominican Friaries built around Scotland during the Middle Ages, though very few fragments survive today. Dominican Friars were also referred to as Blackfriars, from the colour of their robes. The Order originated in the 1200s and they were particularly associated with preaching, teaching and scholarship and had close links with the universities.
Blackfriars Chapel
For info St Andrews is the third oldest University in the English speaking world!
A Dominican Friary was established in St Andrews around 1464, initially with only two friars. In 1514 a generous bequest in the will of William Elphinstone left the Dominicans money to build a new friary and to say prayers for his departed soul. Building began in 1516, and there were funds enough to pay for the maintenance of five friars.
Blackfriars chapel is also in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is fascinating reading about its history.
Isn't it amazing to think something you walk past without batting an eyelid about is 500 fluffing years old!
Look at the windows, there is something Dutch about them!
Remember I mentioned the Reformation at the beginning of the post, well I think it is fitting that we end the post with what happened to the priory courtesy of our friends at Historic Environment Scotland
The Reformation
The rebuilt Blackfriars Chapel and Friary saw less than 40 years of use before the radical changes of the Reformation took place. St Andrews Blackfriars was an early target for the Protestant reformers: one account says that in June 1559 it was “destroyed” and the Friars “violently expelled”. The Chapel is now the only visible remnant of the Friary complex and has been a landmark on South Street ever since.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoyed seeing the West Port Gate and Blackfriars chapel on South Street in St Andrews, Scotland.
All images and ramblings are from me, the mad Scotsman TengoLoTodo unless otherwise stated. Note images are all snapped by me with my Google Pixel 9 XL Pro smartphone on 17th January 2025 and some were used in canva to make the lead image.
@tengolotodo January 27th 2025