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About the St Andrews, Scotland Program

The St Andrews program is a USAC partnership program. Learn more about on-site program elements and the city itself below.

About St Andrews

Torchlit Guadi procession on St Andrews Pier in St Andrews, Scotland.Beautiful streets and historic buildings of St Andrews, Scotland.

  • Distance from Edinburgh: 45 miles
  • Distance from Glasgow: 81 miles

St Andrews is a beautiful seaside town situated in its own sheltered bay on the Fife coast, just 45 miles north of Edinburgh. It commands exceptional views of the Angus coast and hills, with the Grampian Mountains beyond. The antiquity of the city includes wonderful old buildings, city walls, shops, and houses of stone. While the street plan is still medieval, there are excellent road and rail connections to all of Scotland, Wales, and England.

The history of the town pre-dates the university, which was founded in or around 1410; historical evidence suggests a settlement existed on the site at least as early as the sixth century. St Andrews Cathedral, Scotland’s largest and most magnificent medieval church, was founded by Arnold Abbot of Kelso in 1160 and completed in 1318. Today, the spectacular ruins of the castle and cathedral stand over a vibrant town that is alive with students, residents, and local tradespeople.

Widely recognized as the ancestral “Home of Golf,” the golf courses of St Andrews are famous throughout the world, attracting large numbers of tourists, particularly in the summer. Over the years, the town has grown to accommodate these visitors, and students can now enjoy a wide variety of specialty shops, restaurants, cafés, and bakeries that cater to a range of tastes and preferences. Other attractions within the town or nearby include an aquarium, a city museum, botanical gardens, and a golf museum. And there are plenty of opportunities for those seeking recreational activities – including the area’s beautiful long beaches, the nearby Grampian Mountains, and a university-managed sports complex.