St Andrews students celebrate new term with historic tradition

Hundreds of students at the University of St Andrews have celebrated the start of a new term by wearing their red gowns on a beach – despite dense haar.

Students wore their gowns for a walk along the harbour walls in St Andrews, Fife, and down to the beach to celebrate the new semester – despite haar, a thick mist from the North Sea which blows in on the east coast of Scotland.

The tradition, known as Pier Walk, is one of the oldest in the university’s history and was held to mark the start of the Martinmas semester on Monday.

Students celebrate the start of the new term on East Sands (University of St Andrews/PA)

It took a different route from previous years due to the closure of the pier after £3 million damage caused by storms in October 2023.

This year, students walked from St Salvator’s Chapel, passing the cathedral, to gather on the East Sands.

Heir to the throne William and Kate met as students at the university in 2001.