Travel Information

St Andrews 

The conference will be held at the University of St Andrews and organised by the Department of Arabic and Persian in the School of Modern Languages. 

Founded in the 15th century, the University of St Andrews is the first university in Scotland and third oldest in the English-speaking world. Its history dates back to 1410, when a group of masters from Paris founded a school of higher studies here. The oldest college, St Salvator’s College (also known as the “Old College”), was founded in 1450 by Bishop James Kennedy with a specific focus on theology. The other two original colleges are St Lenard’s College (1512) and St Mary’s College (1538). While the former was to offer monastic training, the latter was dedicated to the study of Divinity. Today, St Andrews is a global institution, home to a diverse community of staff and students from over 140 nationalities. 

St Andrews offers a captivating blend of medieval ruins, scholarly tradition, and stunning natural scenery. Close to the East Sand Beach, you will find St Andrews Castle, the former official residence of Scotland’s leading bishop. Only 5 minutes away is St Andrews Cathedral, which was once the largest church in Scotland. Walking along South Street and North Street, you can view the historical quads of St Salvator’s and St Mary’s Colleges and other university buildings, which offer a window into the 600-year university history. Adjacent to West Sand Beach is the iconic Old Course, known as the “Home of Golf”. For a peaceful retreat, Lade Braes offers a 2.5 km woodland walk along a stream, while Botanic Garden is a good place to visit meadows, ponds and living laboratories. 

Travel to St Andrews

By plane 

The most convenient airport to travel to St Andrews is Edinburgh Airport: https://www.edinburghairport.com/ 

  • From Edinburgh Airport, you can take a direct bus to St Andrews: see below. 
  • Alternatively, those flying into Edinburgh may travel to the Edinburgh Gateway station where they can catch a train: see below. 

Another option is Glasgow Airport: https://www.glasgowairport.com/  

By Train

St Andrews does not have a train station. You can take the Edinburgh to Dundee or Edinburgh to Aberdeen train route to reach Leuchars, which is the nearest station (about 6 miles from St Andrews). 

You can then catch the bus (Stagecoach 99 service) to St Andrews, which runs every 15 minutes during the day. The bus journey from St Andrews to Leuchars then takes around 15 minutes. 

You can buy a combined train + bus ticket to reach St Andrews on the Scotrail website: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/  

If this option is not available for your chosen train journey, you will be able to purchase your bus ticket directly on the bus (by card or with exact change). 

By Bus

From Edinburgh Airport:  

The JET787 Bus route will take you from Edinburgh airport to St Andrews: 

See the schedule here: https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/East%20Scotland/Fife/ESCOT_Fife_Service_787_Timetable.pdf  

From Edinburgh: 

The X58, X59 and X60 Stagecoach bus services will take you to St Andrews from Edinburgh (city centre). The journey lasts about two hours. 

 The Stagecoach website will help you plan your travels: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables 

From Glasgow: 

Stagecoach also offers bus services to Glasgow, on the X24, X26 and X27 services, which take around two and a half hours.  

From Leuchars/Dundee:  

The Stagecoach 99 service runs every 15 minutes. The journey takes about 30 mins from Dundee and 15 mins from Leuchars. 

By Taxi

There are a few taxi and shuttle firms available for booking to take you from Edinburgh airport or Leuchars train station to St Andrews.

Taxi at Leuchars:

  • If you arrive at Leuchars train station, you can find taxi ranks at the bus station across the bridge.
  • As an alternative, there is a list of taxi companies you can phone:
    • Golf City Taxi: 01334 477788
    • St Andrews Taxi: 01334 477272
    • St Andrews Cabs: 01334 474747

Taxi at Edinburgh airport:

  • You can book a taxi on St Andrews Shuttle’s website in advance, which offers good rates for group travel from Edinburgh Airport, as well as reasonable rates for private transfers. More details for the booking process see: https://www.standrewsshuttle.com/

Travel Visa 

Important information about Visas and Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) is available on the UK government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration  

If you require an invitation letter in support of your visa application, please contact both: 

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