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St Andrews Castle reopens 14 months after dangerous masonry discovered

St Andrews Castle has reopened.
St Andrews Castle has reopened.

St Andrews Castle has reopened to visitors – more than a year after dangerous masonry was discovered during routine inspections.

The building was among 19 heritage attractions in Scotland closed by owner Historic Environment Scotland (HES) last June due to potential safety risks.

Repairs have since been carried out and, following an inspection by HES, St Andrews Castle is now open for the public.

It is the latest in an ongoing series of site reopenings by the historic environment agency this summer, with Burleigh Castle in Milnathort also due for inspection later this month.

Burleigh Castle in Milnathort.

Some minor restrictions will remain in place at St Andrews Castle, with its North Range and South Range Fore Tower still cordoned off due to “potential hazards” which require monitoring and repair by HES’s operations teams.

A new virtual reality trial is also taking place at the 450-year-old building, which aims to bring its colourful history to life.

It comes after the town’s cathedral was partially reopened in time for The Open Championship in July to allow golf fans to make their traditional pilgrimage.

There were calls last week for the Scottish Government to speed up the reopening of the ancient Arbroath Abbey, which was among the sites shut down over unstable masonry last year.

HES to reopen ‘as many sites as possible’

Stephen Duncan, director of marketing and engagement at HES, said: “We are committed to reopening as many of our sites as possible, as we work through our programme of high-level masonry inspections, which are progressing well.

“Our teams intend to work through the winter months as far as possible to expedite the reopening of our much-loved heritage sites.

“Both St Andrews and Burleigh Castles are popular landmarks, and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors back initially to St Andrews Castle and then to both properties once Burleigh joins it, with only minor restrictions still in place.”

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