Things to Do in St Andrews
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to St Andrews, Scotland, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
St Andrews invented the game the whole world now plays with a small white ball, ran Scotland's oldest university for over 600 years, and once had the largest cathedral in the whole country, now a genuinely dramatic ruin on the clifftop. This is the proper guide to things to do in St Andrews, what things actually cost, when to go, and which bits are worth your time. Three main stops below, plus a quiz at the bottom to see if you were paying attention.
The Old Course & the Home of Golf
I asked in the quiz which sport St Andrews is globally recognised as the historic home of, and it's golf, the modern rules of the game largely codified here exactly as the quiz hint described. The Old Course, established in 1552 during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, is widely considered the world's oldest golf course, and even if you're not playing, walking the course is open to the public on non-competition days, with the Swilcan Bridge on the 18th hole the essential photo stop.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, right by the Old Course, still sets the rules of golf worldwide, and the Himalayas Putting Green beside the 2nd tee gives non-golfers a genuine, low-cost way to play on hallowed ground without booking a full round.
Scotland's Oldest University
The answer to the second quiz question: the University of St Andrews, Scotland's oldest, founded in 1413, is where Prince William and Kate Middleton famously met while studying, graduating together in 2005 and marrying six years later exactly as the quiz hint described. It's one of the three oldest universities in the UK, alongside Oxford and Cambridge, and the historic Quad at its heart, including St Salvator's Chapel, founded in 1450, is one of the university's only surviving medieval buildings.
The cobbled streets and university buildings scattered throughout the town give St Andrews a genuinely different atmosphere to a typical Scottish seaside town, students in red gowns are still a common sight, particularly around graduation season.
St Andrews Cathedral Ruins
I asked in the quiz which country's largest cathedral St Andrews takes its name from, and it's Scotland, the ruined cathedral once the largest church in the whole country, its scale still dominating the town's skyline exactly as the quiz hint described. Founded in 1160, it fell into ruin after the Reformation, but you can still climb St Rule's Tower, 156 narrow steps for a genuinely panoramic view, and see the burial site of over 124 noted golfers within the cathedral grounds.
St Andrews Castle, perched dramatically above the North Sea a short walk from the cathedral, adds a medieval siege tunnel and a genuinely grim "bottle dungeon" carved into the rock, both included in a combined ticket with the cathedral and its museum.
Address The Pends, St Andrews KY16 9QL
Best time to visit St Andrews
May to September gives the most reliable weather for walking the Old Course and West Sands Beach, and it's when the town's golf tournament calendar, including The Open, staged here every five years, is most active. The Cathedral ruins and university buildings both work fine year-round, so a wet or wintry visit doesn't rule out a good trip.
Getting around St Andrews
St Andrews' town centre, the university, the Cathedral ruins and the Old Course, is compact and entirely walkable. The town has no direct rail station, the nearest mainline stop is Leuchars, a short bus or taxi ride away, and St Andrews sits about an hour north of Edinburgh by car.
Frequently asked questions
- Is St Andrews worth visiting?
- Yes, particularly for golf fans, walking the Old Course and Swilcan Bridge is a genuine pilgrimage, alongside a real royal connection at the university and a dramatically ruined cathedral that was once Scotland's largest church.
- How many days do you need in St Andrews?
- A day covers the Old Course, the university and the Cathedral ruins comfortably. It also works well as a day trip from Edinburgh rather than needing an overnight stay.
- Is St Andrews expensive?
- Moderate. Walking the Old Course and the university streets is free; the Cathedral and Castle combined ticket and any actual golf are the main costs.
- What is St Andrews famous for?
- Golf, thanks to the Old Course and the sport's modern rules being largely codified here; the University of St Andrews, Scotland's oldest, where Prince William and Kate Middleton met; and its ruined cathedral, once the largest in Scotland.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
