Dreel Castle

Dreel Castle, Fife
Photo © Jim Bain, 25 August 2008

Anstruther (locally pronounced /'e?nst?r/) (Enster in Scots, Eanstar in Scottish Gaelic and also meaning Little Stream) is a small town in Fife, Scotland. The two halves of Anstruther are divided by a small stream called Dreel Burn. Anstruther lies 9 miles south-southeast of St Andrews.

Just fragments remain of the Anstruther's castle by the Dreel Burn. This is one of them at the western end of Castle Street.

16th Century & Anglo-Scottish Wars

In 1483, Andrew Anstruther of Anstruther confirmed the right to a barony and fought against the English at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513 during the Anglo-Scottish Wars. His second son, David, fought at the Battle of Pavia in 1520 in the service of Francis I of France in the French Scots Regiment. This line ended with the death of the last Baron d'Anstrude in 1928. Andrew's great-great-grandson was chosen as a companion to the young James VI of Scotland, who appointed him Hereditary Grand Carver, a title still held by the head of the family today. In 1595 he became Master of the Household.

17th Century & Civil War

His son, William, accompanied James to London following the Union of the Crowns in 1603 where he was made a Knight of the Order of the Bath. The next son Sir Phillip Anstruther led the Clan and fought as Royalists during the civil war and received Charles II at Dreel Castle after his coronation at Scone in 1651. However Phillip Anstruther was later taken prisoner after the Battle of Worcester in 1651.