St Andrews Cathedral
The
first Culdee Church is said to have been erected on Lady Craig's Rock at the end of the pier in the early years of
Christianity in Scotland. Next came the Church of the Blessed Mary of the Rock at Kirkhill above the harbour, the
foundations of which can be seen today. Then came the Church of St Rule, built on the same site as the Cathedral
- St Rule's Tower remains the most intact structure within the grounds. The Cathedral itself dates from around 1160,
and was consecrated in the presence of Robert the Bruce in July 1318.
Visitors
to the Cathedral today will enjoy the dramatic setting of the ruins - the Cathedral was destroyed by a mob roused by
the preaching of John Knox in the town during the Reformation - and the sense of history which attaches to what was
once one of the most important religious sites in Europe. Owing to the presence of the relics of St Andrew, it was a
place of pilgrimage for many thousands during the medieval period.
The view from the top of St Rule's Tower is breathtaking, and the visitor centre contains a number of artifacts and
helps to set the history of the site into context.
