Crail - There is evidence that Crail had been a settlement from very early time. These early days of Christian civilisation associated with the Celtic Church from the 5th to the 11th century are symbolised by the Sauchope stone in the burgh's Victoria Park. A castle was built by King David I in the 12th century, the castle where Crail House now stands fell into ruin in the 16th century but part of the wall remains, including the doorway used by the Kings of Scotland travelling to the harbour. The town was surrounded by a continuous wall and it is likely that the Old Kirk of St Mary, Crail's parish, lay outside the walls. As the town grew, its streets spread to meet the church which was re-built and enlarged in the 13th century. In 1310 Robert the Bruce confirmed Crail's status as a Royal Burgh with the right to hold markets on a Sunday. The town's Marketgate became one of the largest market places in medieval Europe.
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