St Andrews: Culture, Golf and Coast

St Andrews combines medieval church and pilgrimage history with golf, museums and coastal scenery. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can first consider which of these themes you want your trip to focus on: historic buildings, golf history, collections or time at the beach.

Cathedral, Pilgrimage History and Castle

St Andrews Cathedral was once Scotland’s largest cathedral and most magnificent church. The group of monuments comprising St Andrews Cathedral, the Priory and adjacent ecclesiastical remains is among Scotland’s earliest Christian foundations. St Rule’s Tower at the cathedral is 33 metres high. St Andrews also held significance as a pilgrimage destination for many years: for 400 years, the city was one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in medieval Europe.

During its 450-year history, St Andrews Castle served as a bishop’s palace, fortress and state prison. Visitors can look into the notorious bottle dungeon. Admission to St Andrews Castle and its garden is for a specific date and time. Check the arrangements for your visit before you travel.

Golf History and Collections

In its immersive galleries, the R&A World Golf Museum explores the past, present and future of golf. Its sporting history collection has its roots in St Andrews and presents more than 400 years of golf history. The museum also offers a Learning Room and a putting green.

The city’s museums each have a different focus. The Wardlaw Museum has four themed galleries exploring pioneering research and the global impact of the University of St Andrews. It displays the university’s art, history, science and natural history collections and is located on the Fife Coastal Path. The Bell Pettigrew Museum of Natural History explores living things and fossils from around the world, including extinct species, rare specimens and prehistoric animals. The St Andrews Museum has a permanent display of objects and artefacts relating to the history of St Andrews.

West Sands and the Botanic Garden

St Andrews West Sands is a 1.8-kilometre-long beach bordered by sand dunes. The dunes form the boundary with the St Andrews Links Jubilee golf course and are part of the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary Special Area for Conservation. Walking, running and swimming are popular at the beach. At West Sands, both the coastal scenery and the connection between the dunes and the protected natural area are in view.

St Andrews Botanic Garden covers 18 acres in the heart of the city. You can reach it by car, bicycle or on foot. The visitor centre, car park and bicycle racks are at Canongate; from there, it is a ten-minute walk to St Andrews bus station. The circular route is about 1.2 kilometres long and wheelchair accessible. As access information can change, it is best to check the details before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Pittenweem, New Gilston, Markinch, Ceres, Burntisland, Kingsbarns, North Queensferry, Springfield

See the overview of the wider area: Fife.