St Rules Tower

In the late 11th century the first cathedral was built at St Andrews. It was called St Rules, after a Greek monk called Regulus (Rules in English), who, according to legend, brought St Andrew's relics to Scotland from Constantinople.

With it’s tall square tower, the cathedral was a beacon of light to weary pilgrims who travelled from near and far to visit the building and its saintly contents - believing that such a journey would ease their journey to heaven when the time came.

It was extensively funded by Queen Margaret - later Saint Margaret. She provided a jewelled cross for the high altar, where pilgrims would have seen the Mòr Breac - the portable reliquary of St Andrew - which contained part of his relics - three fingers of the right hand, a knee cap, an arm bone and a tooth.

Some historians have argued that the relics were 11th century propaganda - an initiative of the great church reformer, Queen Margaret, who wanted promote a new, more orthodox saint for Scotland, over the Celtic christianity inherent in the cult of St Columba. However, Margaret gave her patronage to St. Columba too and the Church was staffed by a Columban order, the Céli Dé, or Culdees, (Servants of God) - a Columban order from Ireland. Also, it wasn’t Queen Margaret who brought the reformed monastic orders to St Andrews, but her son, King Alexander I (1107-1124). He introduced Augustinian monks in 1123 and enlarged St Rules to accommodate more pilgrims.