St Andrews began as an early religious settlement linked to the cult of Saint Andrew, Scotland’s patron saint. By the 12th century it had become the centre of the medieval church in Scotland, drawing pilgrims from across Europe to its cathedral.

The town later became home to the University of St Andrews in 1413, shaping Scotland’s intellectual life for centuries. During the Reformation, figures such as John Knox preached here, marking the town as a focal point of religious change.

Alongside this religious and academic history, golf developed on the links beside the town from the 1400s, eventually making St Andrews the recognised home of the sport.

Parking

• Peterson Street Car Park — central, good for cathedral/castle/university exploring

• Argyle Street Car Park — convenient for town centre wandering

• West Sands Car Park — best if you want beach and golf views first

• East Sands Car Park — useful for families and quieter access to the shore

Getting around

• Best explored on foot once parked — everything is close together

• Arrive earlier in peak season; the town is compact and fills quickly

Tip for your day
Park once, explore the cathedral and castle area on foot, wander through town, then finish with a long walk on West Sands before leaving.

This is a simple loop that lets you understand St Andrews without needing a map or rushing between sights. Park once, then follow this on foot.

Start: Cathedral & Harbour

Begin at St Andrews Cathedral. Walk through the ruins and, if open, climb St Rule’s Tower for the view. From here, follow the path down towards the small harbour and look back at the cathedral from sea level — one of the best perspectives in town.

Clifftop to the Castle

Follow the coastal path north for a few minutes to St Andrews Castle. Even without going inside, the clifftop position and sea views are worth the stop.

Into the University Streets

Head inland along North Street and South Street, passing university buildings, stone lanes and small courtyards. This is where the town’s academic character really shows.

Finish: The Links & West Sands

Continue west until the streets open onto the famous links beside the Old Course. Cross towards West Sands Beach and take a short walk along the sand with the course behind you.

You’ll have seen cathedral, castle, university, golf and coastline in one gentle loop — which is exactly how St Andrews is best experienced.

No place in the world is more closely associated with golf than St Andrews Links.

Golf has been played here since at least the early 1400s, when townspeople used the rough coastal ground known as the Links for informal games. The land was common ground — shared for grazing, walking and recreation — which is why the course still feels open and woven into the town rather than enclosed.

By the 1500s, the layout that would become the Old Course had begun to take shape. Its double greens, shared fairways and natural hazards were not designed but evolved over time, shaped by wind, sand, rabbits and repeated play. This is why the course feels organic rather than engineered.

In 1754, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews was formed here. The R&A went on to codify the rules of golf that are still followed across most of the world today, cementing St Andrews’ role not just as a place to play golf, but as the place that defined how the game is played.

The Old Course at St Andrews is widely regarded as the oldest golf course in the world and remains a working public course. Locals walk dogs across it on Sundays. Visitors cross its fairways to reach the beach. It is both sacred sporting ground and everyday landscape.

The famous Swilcan Bridge, Hell Bunker and the long final approach to the 18th green beside the town are among the most recognisable scenes in global sport.

Even if you never pick up a club, walking beside the Links or visiting the British Golf Museum makes it clear why St Andrews is known, without exaggeration, as the Home of Golf.