On June 11, 1559, John Knox preached a sermon in St. Andrews parish church that so aroused the congregation they immediately went to the cathedral and destroyed the splendid fittings and furnishings. While these reformers are blamed for much of the damage of the structure of the cathedral itself, the actual cause was poor design and the harsh North Sea winds.

Entry to the cathedral grounds is free, though access to the visitors' museum and St. Rule's Tower requires a fee. Worth seeing in the visitors' centre is the famous St. Andrews Sarcophagus, a fine example of Pictish carving.

It is fun to walk around the cemetery and note the years on the tombstones. It was amusing to encounter men seeking out the grave sites of legendary Scottish golf champions old and young Tom Morris. Some Americans had left buckets of golf balls and tees on Young Tom's grave. Guess to some golfers, heaven has golf. Nearby is the also sought out grave of another famous Scottish golfer, Allen Robertson.

Also to visit on the grounds is St. Rule's Tower, the only wholly surviving part of the cathedral. The tower was built (circa 1127) to hold the relics of St. Andrew. St. Rule, also know as St. Regulus, is credited with having brought the relics of St. Andrew to this area.

The tower is 108 feet high, which affords a wonderful panoramic view over the town and harbour and surrounding countryside. Access to the tower requires an entrance token which can be obtained at the cathedral visitor centre. Watch how you work the turnstile gate entrance after inserting the token, or like my husband, you may not gain entrance.

I had better luck, but sure didn't think so as I began to climb to the top of the tower via a rather narrow and steep spiral staircase (151 steps), most of which I did bent over using my hands on the steps for balance. It was so narrow that I worried someone would come down from the top as I was going up, which would have made it very difficult to pass. Once up top, the views are spectacular. The descent is not fun either. Be very careful as the steps are narrow since humans were smaller back when the tower was built. Turning one's feet and stepping sideways down is recommended.

Worship first began on this site around 800, when the Celtic Cudees build a makeshift church here. It was quickly replaced by St. Mary on the Crag, which you can see just north of the cathedral walls. The relics of St. Andrews, patron saint of Scotland, were probably kept at this site.

In 1159, the construction of the cathedral began. It wasn't consecrated until 1318, when the archbishop crowned Robert the Bruce King of Scotland. Supposedly, he even rode his horse up the aisle. The cathedral began its demise in 1409, when part of the building was destroyed by a terrible storm. Already weakened, it stood no chance against the zeal of the Protestants, who destroyed the cathedral in the later 1500s. Under the leadership of John Knox, most of the Catholic cathedrals were ruthlessly destroyed. I guess they weren't thinking about people really wanting to see them 400 years later.

Entrance to the grounds of the cathedral is free, so you can wander around all you want taking pictures. DO NOT forget your camera. Even a child could take incredible pictures here. For entrance into the museum, which has some interesting exhibits on the history of the site, and to climb St. Rule' Tower costs £3. It is totally worth it. The views from the tower are breathtaking – and would be even if you didn't have to climb a steep, spiral staircase for what seems like ages.

Even in all of its ruined glory, it is still easy to see the beauty that must have been St. Andrews cathedral. It was the largest and most important cathedral in all of Scotland, and today, it is still a sight that should not be missed.

The inside of the cathedral is fairly dull compared to European cathedrals and lacks the impressive feeling that the outside gives. Having said that, it is a nice place to visit and has nice acoustics during a service.