St Andrews, the home of golf

St Andrews, on the coast of Fife in Scotland, is a small town of extraordinary charm: it has the country's oldest university, the ruins of what was once Scotland's largest cathedral, a castle by the sea and above all the Old Course, considered the home of golf. Its medieval streets, long sandy beaches and student atmosphere make it one of the finest day trips from Edinburgh.

History

According to legend, in the 4th century the monk St Rule was shipwrecked on this coast carrying some relics of the apostle St Andrew, who became the patron saint of Scotland. The town thus became the country's religious centre and a place of pilgrimage. In 1158 work began on the grand cathedral, consecrated in 1318 in the presence of Robert the Bruce. In 1413 a papal bull founded the university, the first in Scotland and the third in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge.

In the 16th century St Andrews was at the heart of the Reformation: in 1546 the reformer George Wishart was burned in front of the castle and shortly afterwards Cardinal David Beaton was killed in revenge. In 1559 the preaching of John Knox triggered the sacking of the cathedral, which was abandoned. Golf was played on the links by the sea as early as the 15th century, and in 1754 the club was founded that would become the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, for a long time the body that set the rules of the game.

What to see

The Old Course

The Old Course is the most famous golf course in the world and regularly hosts the Open Championship. On Sundays it is closed to play and becomes a public park: anyone can stroll across it and be photographed on the Swilcan Bridge, the little stone bridge on the eighteenth hole. Nearby are the clubhouse of the Royal and Ancient and the golf museum, which tells the history of the game.

The cathedral and St Rule's Tower

Of the cathedral ruins there remain part of the façade, the south wall of the nave and the eastern towers, in a large lawn full of gravestones looking out to sea. You can climb St Rule's Tower, the oldest Romanesque tower, with more than 150 steps, for a magnificent view of the town and coast.

The castle

The castle, residence of the bishops and archbishops, stands on a rocky headland above the sea. You can see the bottle dungeon, a cell cut into the rock into which prisoners were lowered on a rope, and above all the tunnels dug during the siege of 1546 to 1547: the besiegers' mine and the defenders' countermine, which you can still crawl through.

The university and the beaches

The quadrangles of the university, such as St Salvator's with its chapel, are open to visitors. Prince William and Kate Middleton studied here and met in St Andrews. West Sands beach, almost three kilometres long, is the one in the famous opening scene of the film Chariots of Fire.

Practical information

The cathedral and castle are cared for by Historic Environment Scotland, with a joint ticket. To play the Old Course you need to book far in advance or enter the daily ballot. The town is small and can be explored on foot.

Getting there

• By train: to Leuchars, on the line between Edinburgh and Dundee, then a bus or taxi in about 10 minutes.
• By bus: from Edinburgh and Dundee.
• By air: Edinburgh Airport is about an hour and a quarter away.

Nearby

• The fishing villages of the East Neuk, such as Crail, Anstruther and Pittenweem.
• Dundee, with the V&A and the ship RRS Discovery.
• Edinburgh and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Tips

• How long: a full day.
• When to go: May to September; on Sunday to walk across the Old Course.
• A tip: start with St Rule's Tower in the morning, then go down to the castle and end the day with a walk on West Sands at sunset.

St Andrews on the map

Nearby