St Andrews
 Castles |  Cathedrals |
An ancient town steeped in history, with the oldest university in Scotland and the oldest golf course in the world. St Andrews is the home of golf, and has been played there for some 500 years.
The town is named after the patron saint of Scotland, and although the saint's life is shrouded in mystery there is a local legend that remains persuasive. In the 11th century, a Greek monk named Regulus, or Rule, removed St Andrew's bones from the monastery, where they were buried, and brought them to Scotland. The supposed relics were believed to effect miraculous cures, and brought pilgrims flocking to St Andrews. St Rule's Church, built about 1130, stands on a clifftop, with its tower still much intact; a spiral staircase leads to the top, which affords a splendid view of the city beneath. St Andrews Cathedral, now in ruins, was built in the late 12th century and consecrated in 1318; at 355ft in length, it was the largest cathedral in Scotland.
In 1559 the townspeople, inflamed by the anti-Catholic preaching of John Knox, leader of the Scottish Reformation, sacked the cathedral. Throughout its duration, the cathedral was the ecclesiastical centre of Scotland; a great priory was adjoined to it. The wall that surrounded the entire precincts remains almost intact. The 'Pends', two Gothic arches probably dated from the 14th century, are all that survive of the gatehouse leading to the priory.
A ruined castle stands on a rock overlooking the sea, very near to the cathedral. Founded in 1200, as the archbishop's palace and stronghold, it was destroyed during the wars between Scotland and England, only to be rebuilt in the late 14th century. In 1546, the Catholic Archbishop Beaton, had the local Reformation leader George Wishart burned at the stake outside the castle walls. Wishart's friends avenged him by entering the castle in disguise, overpowering the guard, stabbing to death Beaton and hanging his body from a window. The Reformers held the castle for nearly a year before finally succumbing to a French force from the sea. Among the prisoners taken was John Knox, who was sent to the galleys for 19 months. Much of the castle was demolished in the 17th century to provide stones for other building projects. The castle has a 24ft deep bottle-shaped dungeon, with a secret passage dug by the besieged garrison in a vain attempt to escape.
Other medieval remains include the aisle of Blackfriars Chapel, now standing in the grounds of 19th century Madras Collage, and the ruins of Greyfriars Monastery, which can still be seen from Greyfriars Gardens. The 19th century Town Hall contains several relics from the tolbooth that it replaced, including an executioner's axe and a stone dated 1565. The grim looking West Port, built in 1589, was the main entrance to the old city, and the best surviving example of a burgh port, or gate, in Scotland.
St Andrews University was founded in 1410, and St Salvator's College was added in1450, by Bishop Kennedy. In the chapel is a pulpit from which John Knox preached. Archbishop Stewart added St Leonard's College in 1512; its library is a restored 16th century mansion in which Mary, Queen of Scots once lived. The third college to be founded on the site was St Marys in 1537, by Archbishop Beaton, and since 1579 has been the university's Theological College. Adjoining St Mary's quadrangle is the university library building, founded by James VI in the early 17th cent; part of its structure incorporates Old Parliament Hall, where the Scottish Parliament sat in 1645/6.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded at St Andrews in 1754, is the headquarters of world golf, and the sports supreme authority. The Old Course dates back to the 15th century, and is the oldest course in the world. Evidence, albeit slim, would suggest that the game of golf was brought to Scotland by traders from Holland, where people competed to strike a ball across frozen canals.
St Andrews has become a touring centre for the Central Highlands, Edinburgh and a wealth of other historic sites. It is also a holiday centre in its own right, with beaches, sailing, fishing and of course golfing, all within easy reach of the town.