ABSTRACT
The recovery of St Andrews Castle by the French in 1547 and its restitution to the government of Scotland were a mere coda to the audacious raid, capture and murder of Cardinal David Beaton; and the continued occupation of St Andrews by the 'Castilians', as the murderers of Cardinal Beaton became known, has long been part of Scottish myth, legend and historiography. In July 1547 Henri II, diplomatically and militarily (especially as regards naval policy), in a far superior position to England: the outcome would be the betrothal and marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to the Dauphin, and the union of the kingdom of Scotland to the kingdom of France. Despite Caldwell's contention that his resources in money and equipment were always meagre and that the ineffectiveness of his efforts, especially against St Andrews in 1546, must have been apparent to Somerset, it would seem that the Governor did not lack the military skills to recover St Andrews Castle.
