On the making of Moth and Dog Are Trying to Get Out On Friday 10 April, St Andrews Art Theatre (STAAT) put on a production of Moth and Dog are Dying to Get Out at the prestigious National Student Drama Festival (NSDF) in Leicester. The company, as producer Ava Pegg-Davies explains, focuses on staging contemporary plays. “What we try to do with STAAT is have really minimalist script-driven performances that don't rely on big flamboyant props and sets, and just rely on good dia

A major emergency response was launched at East Sands on Tuesday morning, 14 April, after a bloodied T-shirt was discovered on the pier, Coastguard crews confirmed to The Courier . Emergency services, including police, coastguard teams, and a rescue helicopter, were called to the scene at around 8:20am, and the harbour area was subsequently taped off. National lifeboat crews from Arbroath, Dundee, and Anstruther were dispatched as part of the response. Approximately an hour l

Professor Claire Peddie, current Proctor and Vice-Principal Education at the University of St Andrews, is to retire from her Principal Office’s role in December 2026. On Monday 13 April, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University Dame Sally Mapstone announced the Proctor’s retirement in a university-wide email.  Professor Peddie is a St Andrews alumna with both an undergraduate degree and a PhD in marine biology. Her career has been focused on education in biology, and s

Bill Logan de Witt, 29, last seen Sunday 5 April A search is underway for a former University of St Andrews student, Bill Logan de Witt, 29, who was declared missing after being last seen exiting the St Andrews Students’ Association at approximately midnight on Sunday 5 April.  According to statements released by Police Scotland and shared via University communications and social media, de Witt had been “recently living” in Cellardyke, Fife.  According to The Courier,  he is

Greetings, St Andrews Events aficionados, from my bed. Hoodie on, covers pulled right up so that only my hands may reach out to type this article. Yes, I’m still recovering from the freezing temperatures at this year’s Moving Castle — but I’m nonetheless warmed by the weird and wonderful delights it offered. Let me first be clear that this was not my first (Szentek) rodeo. At varying levels of sobriety, Moving Castle was a returning fixture in my subhonours years. However, wi

If you’ve never been to a Holi celebration, you might be like me. Before attending Sanskriti, the Indian Society’s Tamasha  celebration this week, all I knew about Holi was what my Scottish Catholic school had taught me about thirteen years ago. I think I had missed a memo on start times, because although the event was advertised to start at 12:30, when we arrived slightly too promptly at 12:45, we were told to wait a bit longer until they were ready for us. After a very shor

St Andrews Reform Society has gained provisional affiliation status with the University of St Andrews’ Student Association as of 13 March — a decision which prompted reactions from multiple political societies within St Andrews.  In a statement issued to The Saint , a Union spokesperson clarified that “an application has been submitted by a St Andrews Reform UK Society to become an affiliated society [...] We are currently reviewing this application in line with our affiliati

St Andrews is littered with nods to the golf of yesteryear. You may have gazed at the old clubs adorning pub walls, eaten at The Niblick, or perhaps you live on Bobby Jones Place. But it’s all looking, no touching … or so I thought.

In a town where fashion shows tend to blur into one another it is easy to assume that all you really need is an elevated platform and some well-dressed students to pace it for 90 minutes. It was with this opinion that I arrived at the Ubuntu Charity Fashion Show 2026. It proved, however, to be sorely misplaced. From the outset, Ubuntu distinguished itself from the rest with a clear sense of purpose. With over 150 attendees and a line-up of international designers — Afro Muru,

Who would’ve thought Oktoberfest could be in March? And in Scotland?  Not me, but there I found myself dressed in an Amazon dirndl on 14 March at Kinky B — our affectionate term for the East Neuk venue Kinkell Byre.  Each year, a mysterious group known as “Das Kommittee” organises the most anticipated event of the University calendar: St Andrews Charity Oktoberfest. Steins, Lederhosen and Bratwurst are guaranteed. But a wristband? Now, that’s much harder to come by… Entry to

Between my weekly Shinty socials, and my friends’ many ‘splitting the G’ competitions, I face a perilous truth: I live in a world of beer drinkers. However, for ten glorious days between 20-29 March, St Andrews Cocktail Week means I must no longer hide myself away. Now in its fourth year, St Andrews Cocktail Week has hit upon a winning formula. Purchase a wristband online to gain access to a week's worth of exclusive deals: cocktails priced from £5, two-for-one drinks, food d

The success of Sejan’s Journal has been a long time coming. First-year medicine student Sejan Vigneswaralingam has been working on content creation for years now, though the publicity of his account today is something novel.  His journey began in 2022. “I didn't actually post anything back then, but it was a starting point for me,” Vigneswaralingam said. This was when he first began making videos that recapped his summer and chronicled his travels. “But I wouldn't post them a

Dr Aidan McKay, a University of St Andrews Scientific Officer in the School of Chemistry, has pleaded guilty to serious sexual offences, involving attempts to communicate with a child and the possession of indecent images of children at his Dundee home as well as on University property, Dundee Sheriff Court has heard. McKay, 32, admitted to attempting to communicate with someone he believed to be a twelve-year-old girl and downloading sensitive materials involving children. T

To a packed hall largely comprising the elderly segment of St Andrews, Kate Khair, a Palestinian former STEPS (St Andrews Education for Palestinian Students) scholar, spoke of the realities of living under an apartheid. We often view these horrors, which seem so far away from the serenity of St Andrews, as another world. Here, our concerns seem to range from deadlines to whether we should really go to the Union on a Wednesday night. As we know too well, nothing is as it seems

“St Andrews, are you not entertained?”  Josh Diri bellowed the famous quote from Gladiator over the Kinkell Byre PA system after defeating Will Nugent in Fight Night’s main event. The fourth-year’s antics were more Jake Paul than Russell Crowe, but the crowd lapped it up.

On the precipice of reading week, we traded a peaceful evening in for a night of dancing, drag, and fun. Run in collaboration with Fife Pride and Saints LGBT+, the two of us rocked up to Younger Hall for a Gaylidh – gay ceilidh, that is. We were promised a night of “joyful dancing, glorious gender play, and total freedom” and it was delivered in full force.   Before the Gaylidh, we found ourselves discussing our respective engagements with queer culture back home. We both com

Nestled between Master Cobbler and Waterstones on 99 Market Street, you might have noticed a new opening: Smedley Fine Art. While the ‘old-fashioned’ lettering that transports you back to an Edwardian Britain might not look amiss in our little town, the story behind the shopfront might surprise you.  There’s something slightly surreal about walking into a fine art gallery, in a location as coveted as Market Street, and being greeted by someone you could just as easily be sitt

With no Valentine’s Day plans and a very official-looking, bright orange press pass, I arrived among throngs of polished, primped-up, and booze-filled students in St Salvator’s Quad for the St Andrews Charity Fashion Show, or FS for short. I was sporting a black charity shop slip dress and borrowed, too-large loafers that made a clip-clop sound as I shuffled through the crowd. Mindful of the bright green Barnardos label I ripped out of my dress this morning, I realised that t

Several students living in the private student accommodation Ayton House have been displaced from their housing after issues with the building’s roof forced their removal.  The impacted students, all living on the ‘B-Block’ building’s top floor, were told they had to move out when they returned to St Andrews after the winter break, with little to no warning in advance. An anonymous male third-year student shared his experience with The Saint , saying that upon his return in l

Uber Scot Limited has applied for a booking licence to operate within Fife County. The application, which the Fife Council is currently reviewing, was made on 23 January this year. If granted, this office would open Uber transport services from the Rosyth Business Centre.  Despite the application, the East Fife Taxi Association (EFTA) has raised “serious concerns” about Uber’s bid.  Spokesperson Linda Holt said: “We have significant concerns about the impact this application

What we owe ourselves On 30th January 2026, the American Department of Justice released “the last batch” of evidence in connection to Jeffrey Epstein’s conviction of federal sex trafficking charges. I will not be looking at these files. I have absolutely no interest in seeing evidence of children getting abused, raped, and murdered. The files include not only photographs that the investigators working with the DOJ took; they also include photographs and videos taken by Jeffre

Fight Night training is in full swing, no pun intended, and with less than two weeks until the big night, the gloves are nearly off. With queues for the bar guaranteed to rival those in the Union on a Wednesday night, here’s who you’ll want to keep an eye on before you commit to the line.  

Like millions around the world, I have spent the last few weeks glued to the TV watching the Winter Olympics. Under Milan and Cortina’s vibrant beauty, the Games deliver world-leading winter sport talent, leaving me on the edge of my seat, wondering: will she land that jump? How fast can he skate? One sport in particular stood out — curling, where players slide stones across ice towards a target whilst using a broom to sweep and control their speed. However, curling equipment

Dame Anne Pringle has been elected to serve as the new Chancellor of the University of St Andrews after winning the majority vote of support against candidates Lord Mark Sedwill, Lady Walmsley, and Dame Barbara Woodward. A total of 5,210 votes were cast out of the University’s 7,000 registered alumni and senior staff, yielding a high voter turnout of over 73%. Succeeding the late Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, Pringle is the first woman in the University’s 600-year history to h

It is no secret to over half of the population that there are ebbs and flows within each monthly cycle. This is a broad statement and does not account for women who do not menstruate for many reasons, including amenorrhea, PCOS, hormonal conditions, or other gender-specific factors. 

Carpe diem  — to seize the day — means different things for different people. For some, it’s waking up to welcome the sunrise and going for a run on the Scores. For others, it’s a morning spent in leisure before heading to a common place, with familiar faces and pints. At various pubs across town, Willie Tair, Alan Fraser, and Gordon Smith, are united by a shared love for a midday pint and good chat.   Sat at The Keys Bar with Willie Tait Tait, always accompanied by his golde

University of St Andrews Neuroscience PhD student Jui-yi Chen was convicted on 30 January of having sexually assaulted a woman in October 2025, with reported continued inappropriate behaviour into November 2025. He pled guilty to two charges of sexual assault. According to evidence presented in Dundee Sheriff Court, Chen had been in a relationship with the victim since September 2025. She had set clear boundaries which Chen then violated, subjecting her to an hour of “thrusti

An investigation by  The Daily Record  has   found the University of St Andrews to have the third highest number of sexual misconduct claims among Scottish universities.  The recent article outlines data going back to 2021 from nineteen universities across Scotland. It states that the University of Edinburgh has the most claims with 127, followed by the University of Glasgow with 109, and the University of St Andrews coming third with 85 claims of sexual misconduct. According

“We are the only original band in St Andrews.” These words were spoken into the microphone on the 6-inch stage of Sandy’s Bar by Felix Saint-Bris, one of the two singers of the three-man band, The Herons. What ensued was a setlist of songs about wearing designer clothes on a Hinge date and eating porridge in the morning. What could’ve been a coy and slightly embarrassed performance was the opposite. They gave us a show in every sense of the word. Felix repurposed his micropho

University students and staff were informed via email on 14 January, that a fire had broken out in the University’s New Technology Building on the North Haugh. A little over an hour after the original email, Vice-Principal Communications Niall Scott followed up to announce that it was “now under control.” Scott said that “we do not yet know the cause of the fire.”  A Fire Brigade, consisting of firefighters from St Andrews, Cupar, and Tayport are currently at the scene, havin

The University of St Andrews’ University Court has, for the second time, removed Rector Stella Maris from her position as President of University Court, effective immediately on Friday 9 January. While Maris no longer sits on University Court, she will still remain in her role as Rector of the University. This is the second time Maris has been removed as President of Court, having previously been dismissed earlier in her term before successfully appealing the decision and bei

This week, the Links Trust confirmed that students will gain access to an eighth course from 5 January 2026.

On Sunday 30 November, St Salvator’s Chapel transformed into a live broadcast studio for two nationwide BBC radio programmes — Sunday Worship  on BBC Radio 4 and Carols Across the Country on BBC Radio 3.  The dual recordings in the medieval Chapel — dating back to 1413 — marked both St Andrew’s Day and the beginning of Advent, drawing together students, staff, and leading figures from across Scotland’s artistic and academic communities. The morning recording began early, with

Freshly out of the tent, with five Star Baker titles, two Hollywood handshakes, and an engraved glass cake stand to her name, 2025 Great British Bake Off  winner Jasmine Mitchell was grinning from ear to ear.  “It’s felt pretty crazy,” Mitchell told The Saint. “ It’s all a lot of fun adjusting to a different pace of life.” The 23-year-old medical student graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2024 and won the Great British Bake Off  just months later, on 4 November, 2

Glitterball — the annual student-run formal ball known as the first fully LGBTQ+ inclusive event of its kind in the UK — will be discontinued after its 2026 iteration. Hosted by SaintsLGBT+, a subcommittee of the University of St Andrews Students’ Association, this academic year’s Glitterball will take place at the Spanish Gardens on 21 March, 2026, with the theme ‘Curtain Call,’ reflecting the event’s finality. @Glitterball.sta  publicised a statement about the news of the..

It was 7:45am when I met the St Andrews Wild Swimming Society for the first time. I stood on West Sands Beach, shivering and shielding my eyes against the gritty wind. The beach was deserted except for two figures who I thought were seals, but who turned out to be paddleboarders.

Very few people would venture to spend four hours and 58 minutes (not including the 13 minutes allotted for a singular break) seated in the back row of a sold-out cinema to watch Wicked and Wicked: For Good  back to back. But being the reporters that we are — one of us a self-proclaimed Oz-media anthropologist, and the other a former theatre kid and pop culture vulture — we felt it was our responsibility to go to that unfamiliar place somewhere over the Rainbow (or, rather, s

On Wednesday 5th of November, I went to see the penultimate performance of People You Know’s Hardpill , written by Loulou Sloss, directed by Sofia Hattiagadi and produced by Olga Blanco. The play was hosted at the Heritage Museum on North Street, in an intimate setting where the audience was facing a very faithful reproduction of the Boots Pharmacy set up. Hard Pill focused on the concept of virginity and the various reasons why people choose to (or not) have sex, for many di

On the evening of Friday 14 November, a panel of Students’ Association Officers, alongside Postgraduate Research President, Postgraduate Taught President, Head of Student Engagement, and Chief Operating Office Chris Clarke, held the first-ever All-Students Forum open to all matriculated students and guests.  This panel follows the protocols implemented in January 2024’s Change Programme, which includes the Democracy Review. According to the Union website, the Review “ focuses

For the twentieth anniversary of singer-songwriter Kate Victoria ‘KT’ Tunstall’s debut album Eye to the Telescope , the artist filmed a music video featuring the University of St Andrews Observatory. The Fife-born artist, raised in St Andrews and famed for her 2004 hit ‘Suddenly I See’ (used in the opening credits of The Devil Wears Prada  in 2006), returned in June to film inside the Gregory Dome and give an intimate concert for a select group of fans. St Andrews Observatory

Ever wondered what was occurring on the morning of Welly Ball? While the rest of St Andrews applies the last of their fake tan and debates dinner suit versus tux, somewhere just outside Leuchars, 300 students participate in the St Andrews Challenge.

In late August 2025, 500 ships set sail from Western Europe in what would become the largest civilian-led convoy of its kind in modern history. The Global Sumud Flotilla, with people from over 44 countries and from 47 nationalities, sailed 2,000 miles over six weeks and ended their aid mission just 40 miles shy of the Gazan coastline. Sid Khan was one of four Scottish nationals detained by Israeli forces in international waters from the Flotilla, and has been touring Scottish

The Sunday League returned with aplomb after Reading Week with drama from the outset as Beavers extended their lead at the top of the table with a 4-2 win over Butts Wynderers in the early kick-off. The Wynderers put on a resilient display against quality opposition, but at this stage of the season, it’s results they need if they’re to have any chance of survival.   

On 4 November, 2025, University of St Andrews graduate Jasmine Mitchell won the sixteenth series of the Great British Bake Off  following ten weeks of competition. Mitchell ultimately beat out fellow finalists Aaron Mountford-Myles and Tom Arden. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Mitchell graduated from the University in 2024 with a BSc in Medicine. She is currently continuing her medical degree in London. The 23-year-old cited her mother and aunts as her mentors, finding her pas

As a Rocky  ‘virgin,’ I had no idea what to expect walking into this year’s staging of The   Rocky Horror Picture Show . I should have branded myself with a red ‘V’ as my fellow virgins had done, but was happy I hadn’t when a selection of them made their way up onto the Byre’s stage to perform their best orgasm.  “Have you ever fantasised about a Rocky character?” Ava Daniels, the show’s director (and the night’s host) asked the participants. As a glorious array of grunts and

The dinner party is a quintessential part of the St Andrews student experience. Myriads of flats piled on top of one another, interlaced and rarely soundproofed, are filled to the brim every night of the week with students dining on gourmet food en masse. Jazz filters in through the background, candlesticks are artistically placed in disused wine bottles, foie de gras and intricately iced desserts are scattered across tables, and fire doors, much to the chagrin of HMO-obsesse

Halloween would not be the same without a chemist or two. It is the night when the veil between the living and the dead is said to be at its thinnest. Around 2,000 years ago, the Celts, including those right here in Scotland, celebrated Samhain to mark the end of the harvest. Bonfires were lit and masks worn to confuse wandering spirits believed to slip through from the ‘other side.’ Later, the Christians had their go, renaming 1 November as All Saints’ Day, with All Hallows’

Played over a net and scored like tennis, in an enclosed court like squash and with tactics as intricate as chess, Real tennis feels familiar yet intriguingly unusual. It’s the original form of the game from which lawn tennis emerged in the nineteenth century.

Former kebab shop Big Boss and ice cream shop Little Boss owner Ugur ‘Jack’ Emre was convicted on 14 October by the Dundee Sheriff Court for “sexual assault of a minor, making non-consensual sexual remarks, supplying children with alcohol, licensing offences, and forcing young staff to work during a restricted time,” according to an article from The Courier , published 16 October. Despite these convictions, Emre has not been sentenced to prison, raising concerns among the St

When you think of shinty, you might picture a cold Scottish morning — the crash of sticks (or caman) on muddy turf, a game recognised by few outside the Highlands. Often compared to field hockey but known as a more physical alternative, shinty is a true spectator sport. I spoke to club president Niamh Hague to find out why it’s thriving at St Andrews — and why it continues to capture the imagination of so many.