St Andrews Cathedral Priory

St Andrews Cathedral Priory was a priory of Augustinian canons in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Plans were made for its foundation in the reign of Alexander I of Scotland, who set aside some land (in the cursus apri, or "Boar's Raik") for that purpose. It was finally established by King David I and his son in 1140 with canons from Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire. The priory lands were carved up into lordships in the 16th century, although the core and title remained into the 17th century.

The site is protected, together with the adjacent St Andrews Cathedral, as a scheduled monument.

The Priory of St Andrews also used to own the land now used by Rufflets Hotel, located between Strathkinness and St Andrews itself.

Bibliography

• Barrow, G.W.S., "The Clergy at St Andrews", in G.W.S. Barrow (ed.), The Kingdom of the Scots, (Edinburgh, 2003), pp. 189–202
• Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man, Second Edition, (London, 1976), p. 96
• Duncan, A.A.M., "The Foundation of St Andrews Cathedral Priory, 1140", in The Scottish Historical Review, vol 84, (April, 2005), pp. 1–37
• Watt, D.E.R. & Shead, N.F. (eds.), The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries, The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24, (Edinburgh, 2001), pp. 187–92

See also

• Prior of St Andrews, for a list of priors and commendators