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The east gable of St Andrews Cathedral and St Rule's Tower framed by ruined arches.
Fife

St Andrews Cathedral

The ruins of what was once Scotland's largest church, begun in 1160 and dedicated in 1318, at the east end of St Andrews beside St Rule's Tower.

Welcome

The cathedral at St Andrews was once the largest and most magnificent church in Scotland, and its ruins on the eastern side of the town are still a landmark from land and sea.

A Celtic monastery stood on the site from the 8th century, work on the cathedral began around 1160 and went on for about 150 years, and Robert the Bruce was present when it was dedicated in 1318.

You can walk the grounds free of charge. The 33-metre St Rule's Tower, older than the cathedral, stands among the ruins, and the graveyard holds the graves of the golfers Allan Robertson and Old Tom Morris. Free guided tours finish with a climb of the tower, so email the cathedral for times and availability before you go.

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Before you go

The grounds are free to walk, open on fewer days from October to March.

Where
The Pends, St Andrews KY16 9QL, on the eastern side of the town, close to the university and the castle.
Open
1 April to 30 September: daily 9.30am to 5.30pm. 1 October to 31 March: Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm, closed Tuesday to Thursday. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing. Closed 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January.
Price
The grounds of the cathedral are free of charge.
Booking
Free guided tours, which end with a climb of St Rule's Tower, are arranged through the visitor team: email standrewscathedral.vo@hes.scot for times and availability. Donations are welcome.
Parking
There is on-street parking nearby. You can be dropped off in front of the war memorial at the top of North Street.
Getting there
Leuchars is the nearest railway station, about six miles away, and the Stagecoach 99 bus runs from there to St Andrews about every 15 minutes in the day. Traveline Scotland plans journeys by public transport.
Access
The entrance is by the memorial gate, which gives level access to a compacted gravel path down the length of the site. The grounds are mainly at ground level, with numerous steps and raised thresholds, and many gravestones and other trip hazards beside the main walkways.
Dogs
Assistance dogs are permitted. For other dogs, ask the visitor team on standrewscathedral.vo@hes.scot.

Opening hours

Monday
10am–4pm
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
Closed
Friday
10am–4pm
Saturday
10am–4pm
Sunday
10am–4pm

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Where it is

At the east end of St Andrews, overlooking the harbour, KY16 9QL.

Close bySt Andrews.
  1. St Rule's Tower and cathedral ruins overlooking a walled graveyard in St AndrewsSt Rule’s TowerThe 33-metre tower of the church of St Rule, built about 1130 in the grounds of St Andrews Cathedral, perhaps a beacon for pilgrims.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Tables in the glass-walled dining room of the Seafood Ristorante, St Andrews, with the sea and the beach beyond the windows.The Seafood RistoranteUnder a mile as the crow flies
  3. The dining room at Ondine in Seaton House, St Andrews, with a long marble-topped bar on one side and tables by tall windows on the other.Ondine Oyster & GrillA seafood restaurant and oyster bar in Seaton House on The Scores in St Andrews, looking over the West Sands.Under a mile as the crow flies
  4. St Andrews Castle, the ruined gatehouse range and tower on the green above the sea.St Andrews CastleThe ruined castle of the bishops and archbishops of St Andrews beside the sea, with a bottle dungeon and the ornate Hamilton Façade.1 mile 4 min by road
  5. St AndrewsSt AndrewsA town on the Fife coast with Scotland's first university, the home of golf, and the ruins of a great cathedral and a bishops' castle.1 mile 5 min by road
  6. Illuminated display panels line a dark museum gallery with glowing floor exhibitsThe R&A World Golf MuseumThe museum of golf at St Andrews, beside the Old Course, telling over 400 years of the game through thousands of objects, with a putting green inside.2 miles 7 min by road
Directions
The bar at Haar in St Andrews, with wooden stools at a stone-topped counter, blue armchairs and its awards on the wall.RestaurantsHaar0.6 miles
Bronze cat statue on a stone plinth beneath bunting flagsAttractionsHamish McHamish Statue0.9 miles
The Road Hole Restaurant at the Old Course Hotel, St Andrews: tables, a long banquette and tall windows looking out over the course.RestaurantsRoad Hole Restaurant0.9 miles
Battered fish and chips with tartare sauce and a lemon sliceRestaurantsCromars1.1 miles
Carved wooden pews line the aisle beneath stained glass windows and vaulted ceilingAttractionsSt Salvator’s Chapel1.1 miles
Glass-fronted students' union building with "Your Union" sign beside a bus stopAttractionsUniversity Quad1.1 miles
The dining room at Forgan's in St Andrews, long tables under walls of shelves, books and framed pictures.RestaurantsForgan's1.2 miles
Floor-to-ceiling shelves of books line a bookshop with globe lights and a sliding ladderAttractionsTopping & Company1.2 miles
Spoiled Life, FifeCafeSpoiled Life1.2 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the cathedral, and when each is next free.

The black timber cabin's exterior, with a chimney above the roofline and a freestanding bath standing on the decking below.Bracken Treehouse at Airdit
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Balmullo
  • 7 miles from St Andrews Cathedral
Free 8–10 NovAn orange leather sofa draped with a sheepskin faces a stone fireplace beneath a timber ceiling, a staircase rising behind.The Old Stable
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 9 miles from St Andrews Cathedral
Free 14–16 NovThe Crow’s Nest, FifeThe Crow’s Nest
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Pittenweem
  • 9 miles from St Andrews Cathedral
Free 3–6 NovFifies, FifeFifies
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 9 miles from St Andrews Cathedral
Free 3–5 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in FifeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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