Cities of Scotland

St Andrews is a small town situated on the North Sea, more specifically on the broad bay on the north-east coast of the county of Fife. Tourists around the world know it mainly from the Scottish tradition of golf, the symbol of Scotland - Saint Andrew’s Cross, the oldest golf courses on the planet and the oldest university in Scotland, to which, currently the most famous, British marriage was attending - Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton.

According to the legend, the name of the city comes from Saint Andrew’s relics which were carried from Greece to Scotland. Unfortunately, the ship with the holy body crashed near the Scottish town of Kilrymont and since then this coastal town was called St. Andrews.

This small town was founded nearly 1,000 years ago on the initiative of Bishop Robert and likely positioned near the ruins of the present castle. Today, St Andrews is known mainly from, formed in 1413, the University of St Andrews, where young people from different countries and different social status attend. The university always occupies a prominent place in the UK universities rankings. In medieval times, the university was even more important than it is today. At that time St Andrews was also the spiritual capital of Scotland and had huge economic and political influence. Unfortunately, English Civil War in 1559, destroyed the city and deprived it of its status. In the nineteenth century, St Andrews gained high prestige again and occurred as a fast-growing city, mainly due to the emerging of golf courses. During World War II, Polish Corps stationed in this small Scottish town, with its commander - Commander in Chief Lt. Gen. Wladyslaw Sikorski. Hence, there is the monument dedicated to the memory of that Polish commander located in the center.

This town attracts mainly golfers from around the world. The local Scots practice the sport from the fifteenth century. To learn more about its history, you can go to the local Golfers Museum. You should also visit to the world's oldest golf course - Old Course. Its last hole is legendary and memorable.