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St.Andrews History & Attractions

The seat of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, St. Andrews is a picturesque Royal Burgh at the centre of the golf world. It boasts several fine courses, including the famed Old Course, beloved by champions past and present. You can study the history of golf at the British Golf Museum, but St. Andrews is renowned for more than the game it gave the world... for centuries it was the centre for the religious life of the nation. St. Andrews Castle was the dramatic waveswept backdrop of many of the bloodiest episodes of the Reformation. At the Cathedral you can climb the daunting St. Rule's Tower for magnificent views of the town and its two fine beaches. This close association with the sea can be explored at the Sea Life Aquarium. St. Andrews is also an ancient seat of learning, with Scotland's first University set amongst elegant, ivy-clad buildings and delightful quadrangles and gardens. The timeless atmosphere of St. Andrews will last in your memory.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club

On 14 May 1754, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded under its original name of 'The Society of St. Andrews Golfers'. This club, originally comprised of 22 noblemen, professors and landowners, was to become the foremost golf club in the world, and now governs the rules of golf everywhere except the United States, Canada and Mexico. In 1834 King William IV became the society's patron, conferring on it thetitle of 'Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews'. Although the Club runs the Open Championship and the important amateur championships, the R & A is still a private club. Golf has been played on St. Andrews Links since around 1400. As the 600 years history of the Links has unfolded, one simple track hacked through the bushes and heather has developed into six golf courses. Although the R & A built the New Course at St. Andrews in 1895, and maintained both the New and Old up to the 1950's, the R & A no longer has a course of its own. An Act of Parliament in 1974 created the St. Andrews Links Trust, ensuring the continued running of the Links as public courses open to anyone.

The British Golf Museum

A trip to St. Andrews, the home of golf, would be incomplete without a visit to the fascinating British Golf Museum. Here you are taken on a spectacular journey through the glorious history of golf. The Museum has an amazing array of treasures from over 500 years of golf history waiting to be discovered. A mix of ancient and modern, facts and feats, there is something to delight everyone. Extraordinary exhibits and diverse displays will surprise and strike you - from evolving equipment and symbols of success to fun features of the game. Touch screen videos allow you to look deeper into the lives of Champions and Championships and to test your skills and knowledge of the game of golf.

The University

St. Andrews University was founded by Bishop Wardlaw at the beginning of the 15th Century, and blessed by Pope Benedict XIII when he issued a papal bull. In the early days the lecturers were clerics, giving lessons in the priory and other ecclesiastical buildings to boys training for the Church. In 1450 the College of St. Salvator was founded by Bishop Kennedy. This was followed by the foundation of the College of St. Leonard in 1512, before the College of St. Mary was founded by Archbishop James Beaton in 1537-38. The Reformation and the Act of Union in 1707 brought about a decline in the status of St. Andrews and its university. Along with the commercial growth of the town, the 19th Century heralded a revival of St. Andrews University, with the faculty of medicine being added amongst other disciplines, and the introduction of women. St. Andrews University continues to flourish with over five thousand students from all over the world, and teachers with an international reputation. The University is also home to three museums.

MUSA, the Museum of the University of St Andrews is situated at 7a The Scores, between St Andrews Castle and The British Golf Museum. MUSA tells the story of the University's past and its people. On display are the three medieval silver maces, the symbols of the University's authority, art collections, treasures, rare books and manuscripts from the University Library. Visitors are encouraged to engage in the interactive exhibits, where you can participate in the Silver Arrow shooting competition and experiment with kaleidoscopes. Talks, tours and workshops are organised throughout the year and when you feel you need a rest, enjoy the dramatic views of St Andrews Bay from the top floor viewing terrace.

In The North Haugh, at the entrance to the town on the A91 housed in an impressive round fronted building is the Gateway Galleries, the University's temporary exhibition venue. About four exhibitions per year are staged, on subjects ranging from art and photography to science and ethnography. The building also houses the Cafe at the Gateway where light refreshments or lunch may be enjoyed.

Finally there is the Bell Pettigrew Museum, the University's museum of Zoology with fascinating displays of the largely Victorian collections exploring the evolutionary and taxonomic relationship between creatures. Based in the School of Biology, Bute Medical Buildings, entry can be gained from South Street via the entrance to St Mary's Quad. The museum is open to the general public on Tuesday and Friday afternoons in the summer vacation – early June until mid September.

Admission to all three museums is free.

St. Andrews Castle

The ruins of the St. Andrews Castle date mainly from the 16th Century, although the surviving walls of the clifftop fortress look considerably more ancient. Erected around 1200 by Bishop Roger, a much older castle shared the site, establishing early the close association between the castle and the cathedral. The Wars of Independence saw the castle's capture and recapture, and raising and rebuilding by both the Scots and English. After the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 the Castle returned to Scottish hands, only until it was repossessed and rebuilt by the English in 1336. In 1337 the castle was besieged and demolished to keep it out of English hands. Bishop Wardlaw, founder of the University, rebuilt the castle half a century later and tutored James I. James made the castle his residence in 1425. Resident from 1523-39 the founder of the College of St. Leonard, Archbishop James Beaton was renowned for his lavish hospitality. His nephew, Cardinal David Beaton, enjoyed an altogether less favorable reputation. After angering Henry VIII the castle was again seiged, and in 1546 the Cardinal was murdered and hung from the battlements. In 1587 St. Andrews Castle was transferred into the ownership of the Crown and allowed to fall into ruin.

The Cathedral

Amongst the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral, the great east window and surviving foundations give an impression of the size and splendor of the edifice. The cathedral was founded in 1160 by Arnold, Abbot of Kelso, but the turbulence in medieval Scotland delayed its completion until1318. Cruciform in shape the cathedral has a nave, north and south transepts and a choir. Pilgrims from all over Scotland would come to kneel at the Shrine of St. Andrew in the sanctuary or at one of the cathedral's 31 altars. The altars were smashed, sacred books were burnt, and anything that could be turned into money was sacked at the time of the Reformation. St. Andrews Cathedral fell into ruin with its stone used by townsfolk to build their houses. The 108-feet (33m) St. Rule's Tower still stands, named after Regulus or Rule, the Greek monk reputed to have brought the relics of St. Andrew to Fife to prevent them being taken by Constantinople. Whatever the truth, the relics gave St. Andrews its name and its former position at the centre of the Scottish Church.

St. Andrews Sea Life Aquarium

Visit the Kingdom of the Seashore at the St. Andrews Sea Life Aquarium! You can see one of the planets most enchanting and delicate creatures in a special display dedicated to showcasing how beautiful they are. From the weird and wonderful to the cute and cuddly - you can see the resident seals as they frolic in their pools occasionally surfacing to see who is watching them. There are hundreds of sea creatures to be seen from starfish and crabs to rays and sharks, many of which are native to Scottish waters. There is a café and souvenir gift shop to round off that special day and of course, if you fancy a stroll, the famous St. Andrews beach is just minutes away. visit the Rooms Page to find out more about the facilities at Acorn Bed & Breakfast, or check the Travel Page to get your bearings.