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St Andrews - more than just golf!

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15/07/2010

St Andrews on the east coast of Fife is known worldwide as the home of golf, which has been played here since the late fifteenth century on the links courses which are laid out along the coastal area to the north west of the town. It is steeped in history with many historic buildings and sites around its medieval town centre, which became a Royal Burgh in 1620. The University was established in 1410 and is the oldest university in Scotland. St Andrews was also for a long time the ecclesiastical capital of Scotland and the remains of the Cathedral, the largest in Scotland, date back to the twelfth century with its predecessor St Regulus’ Church and tower nearby. The ruins of the Castle date back to around 1200.

This year the 150th Open Championship in Golf will be played on the famous Old Course in St Andrews.

RCAHMS holds over 15 million items relating to the history of the built environment in Scotland, and the Collections contain a wide variety of items for St Andrews. These include historic photographs, architectural plans, engravings and sketches, modern survey photographs and drawings, and modern and historical aerial photographs.

Examples include:

• Modern survey photographs of the stained glass windows in the Parish Church Of The Holy Trinity

• Aerial photographs of the town and golf courses photographed by the Royal Air Force in the 1940s and recent photography by RCAHMS.

• Unexecuted design proposals for the Royal and Ancient Club House from 1879

• Survey drawings and photographs of the Sarcophagus and other carved stones in the Cathedral Museum of St Andrews.

• Engraving by John Slezer of St Andrews Castle from ‘Theatrum Scotiae', 1718

• 19th century photographs of the historic buildings in St Andrews

• An engraving of St Andrews Castle from 1801