The ruins of the once magnificent cathedral and the surrounding cemetery sit in an imposing spot at the top of North and South Streets and Pends Road. Christian worship at this spot began around 800 A.D. The construction of the cathedral began in 1159, but it wasn't until 1318 that the cathedral was consecrated in the presence of King Robert the Bruce.
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.