The Way of St Andrews

Scotland – various routes

St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and the town where his relics were kept, on the east coast overlooking the North Sea, took the saint´s name and was established as a pilgrimage site over 1000 years ago. Thousands of pilgrims made their way there every year until the Reformation.

The title Way of St Andrews covers a series of routes, so there is not just one St Andrew’s Way, but many, departing from different areas of Scotland and the North of England some of which do not even have St Andrews as their end point. Probably the most well-known are St Columba´s Way from Iona to St Andrews, spanning Scotland from West to East; St Wilfrid’s Way from Hexham in NE England to Edinburgh via Hadrian’s Wall. And then St Margaret’s Way from the centre of Edinburgh to St Andrews. These are great pilgrim ways wending their way quietly through Scotland’s diverse and picturesque landscape.

Photo: City of St Andrews