Holy Trinity Church, St Andrews

Holy Trinity Church stands on South Street in St Andrews, Fife. It is a parish church of the Church of Scotland and holds Category A listed status. The church traces its origins to about 1144 when Bishop Robert Kennedy built it near the cathedral. By 1234 Bishop David de Bernham had dedicated the building. Between 1410 and 1412 Bishop Wardlaw moved it to its present site on the north side of South Street. The church witnessed two key moments in Scottish Reformation history. John Knox first preached publicly there in June 1547. On 4 June 1559 he returned to deliver a sermon that sparked the stripping of the cathedral’s ecclesiastical status. The building was largely rebuilt between 1798 and 1800 by Robert Balfour. Between 1907 and 1909 MacGregor Chalmers restored much of the medieval appearance. Visitors find a church whose medieval features survive mainly in the north-western tower and parts of the arcade arches. The interior reflects Chalmers’ early 20th-century restoration aimed at recreating a medieval atmosphere. South Street’s historic setting adds to the church’s significance. The building remains an active place of worship and a recognised historic landmark in St Andrews.