Ancient Scottish pilgrimage route revived

An ancient Scottish pilgrimage route hopes to become as popular as Spain's Camino de Santiago de Compostela when it reopens in July.

Churchgoers from St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese are working to re-establish The Way of St Andrews, and are backed by the support of Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and lay Catholics.

The initial journey will follow a bicycle route out of Scotland’s capital city to South Queensferry before travelling along the Fife coastal route to Earlsferry, where the pilgrimage will then lead north to St Andrews.

Hugh Lockhart, a parishioner of St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, hopes the route will become a "rolling pilgrimage," whereby people can undertake their own journey at any time, starting from any place.

“The cardinal has been very supportive and we are trying to encourage as many people as possible to get involved,” Mr Lockhart said, speaking to Scottish Catholic Observer.

“The pilgrimage will be open to all, regardless of personal belief, and we hope people will learn something along the way.”

St Andrews was established as a pilgrimage site more than 1000 years ago with thousands of pilgrims making their way to the historic town until the Reformation.

The news comes two weeks after the Candida Casa monastery, founded in 371 AD in Galloway, Scotland, was knocked off its spot as the oldest Christian monastery in Europe by a team of archaeologists in Bulgaria.

St Andrews also made local headlines last week when roadworks in the town centre uncovered what are thought to be the remains of 15th century Franciscan monks known to have lived in St Andrews.