Hidden Gardens 2025
2025-06-29 11:00 - 16:00 UTC | 46 South Street, 46 South Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JT, United Kingdom
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Hidden Gardens – 29 June 2025 – 11am – 5pm – last entry 4pm

Our Hidden Gardens 2025 Map and Brochure is now out!
Click the button below for full event information including map and list of properties

Hidden Gardens 2025 Brochure at https://tinyurl.com/HG25-Brochure

You’re invited to our renowned Hidden Gardens Event!
The St Andrews Preservation Trust is delighted to invite you to its 27th Hidden Gardens event on 29 June 2025. Revealing some of St Andrews’ best-kept secrets, this annual fundraising event gives you exclusive access for one day each year to the hidden gardens of St Andrews.
What can you expect?

Find the secret doocot in one of the South Street gardens
Homemade jams, chutneys and textiles
Tea, Coffee and Shortbreads
Community Stalls
Live music!

Jill’s textiles stall is all set to be a big hit, she’s been busy with her friends preparing a whole host of useful items and tasty treats!
“I love sewing, and although it’s just a hobby, I am delighted to give 100% of what you spend at this stall to the Preservation Trust. I make useful things like aprons, peg bags, laundry and shoe Bags, spectacle and mobile phone Cases, teapot and cafetiere cosies, cushions and draught excluders. I now combine my sewing stall with my Marmalade, Preserves Jellies and Chutneys and Irene Bennett’s ‘heavenly’ tablet. Friends who knit have added to this emporium of homemaking crafts with Gloves, Fingerless Texting Mittens, Socks and snug Woolley Hats for the St. Andrews weather! You’ll find me at this year’s headquarters in the garden at 46 South Street.” Jill

The Hidden Gardens event is a staple in the Trust calendar
Charity Trustees, volunteers and staff alike can feel the year racing towards our favourite fundraiser. There is a great sense of community that comes with the live music performances and homemade shortbread. The Trust would love to welcome local St Andreans, Fifers, and visitors from further afield to this special event.
Help out at Hidden Gardens:
Would you like to contribute to Hidden Gardens? We are seeking volunteers for the 27th, 28th, 29th June to ensure the event runs smoothly, including greeting visitors, setting up and taking down the event, and of course, sampling some homemade shortbread! If you would like to help, please contact us at trust@stapt.org.uk or using the telephone number 01334 477629.
Buy Hidden Gardens Tickets Today
To avoid disappointment, book your tickets to the Hidden Gardens Event today.
Adults: £9
Trust Members: £7
Students: £7
Under 16s: free
A 15p booking fee per ticket will be applied at checkout.
We are unable to accommodate pets (guide dogs welcome)

Parking
Free Parking at the Boys’ Brigade Hall, Langlands Road KY16 9BW or at Petheram Bridge carpark, St Andrews KY16 9TF

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Hidden Gardens 2025 Map and Brochure

Autumn Talk 1: The Lammas Market
2025-08-19 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | St Andrews Bowling Club, 1 Pipeland Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8JN, United Kingdom
The Lammas Market

Tuesday 19th August 2025, 2.30pm at the St Andrews Bowling Club.

The St Andrews Preservation Trust is delighted to announce the return of our Autumn Talks series, following the success of our pilot last year. This was a great addition to our Winter Talks series started in 2021. We welcome speakers from across St Andrews, Dundee and Fife to share their work or pieces of research. In four years we have grown from smaller audiences of members to audience of 50+ members of the Trust and the local community.

We would be delighted to welcome you to our first Autumn Talk, to hear Alan Sturrock about St Andrews Lammas Market.

Alan has been filming the Lammas Market in St Andrews for many years, and has produced a DVD on the subject. He now films similar Fairs around the UK. More info coming shortly.

General admission £5, Trust Members £3
You can now book both Members and Non-Members tickets in one transaction using the “Book both Members and General Public tickets” button. Please adjust quantity of each using the small quantity button below each item.

Probus Members can book for free using the Probus Club fund – please RSVP at Trust@stapt.org.uk

Tea, coffee and shortbreads to follow. Donations kindly accepted.
Memberships available at https://tinyurl.com/STAPTMembership

Trust Member Tickets only

General Public Ticket only

Book both Members and General Public Tickets

Autumn Talk 2: Newport-on-Tay; its early development and links with Dundee
2025-09-16 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | St Andrews Bowling Club, 1 Pipeland Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8JN, United Kingdom
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Newport-on-Tay: its early development and links with Dundee

Guest Speaker Mairi Shiels
For a small village on the south shore of the River Tay, Newport does have rather a lot of history! This talk will set the scene by looking at the small settlement known as Seamills which was the forerunner of the village we know today. It then examines the massive changes which took place during the 19th century, with much development resulting first of all from the village’s ferry link to Dundee, and later in the 19th century, from of course the rail link.

The St Andrews Preservation Trust is delighted to welcome you to our second Autumn Talk, to hear Mairi Shiels speak on “Newport-on-Tay: its early development and links with Dundee”. We had the privilege of hearing Mairi Shiels last year on the Tay Bridge Disaster, and I are very pleased that she is returning to share her expertise on a new topic. We welcome speakers from across St Andrews, Dundee and Fife to share their work or pieces of research. In four years we have grown from smaller audiences of members to audience of 50+ members of the Trust and the local community.

About the speaker:
Mairi is a retired History teacher who has lived in Newport for 40 year. She has written 4 books on the area and co-produced a series of local history exhibitions. She established the Newport History Group which she has chaired for seven years. Now with well over 400 members, and the group continues to mount exhibitions, lead guided historical walks and boat trips, produce books, and created a tapestry of places of local historical importance. They set up Newport History website and online archive, and are nearing completion of a physical archive. They liaise with the local primary schools, fostering an interest in local heritage among the pupils.

General admission £5, Trust Members £3.
A 15p booking fee will be applied at checkout.
There will be options to add a minimum £1 voluntary donation and gift aid the full price of your ticket plus your donation – this benefits the Trust by reclaiming 25% of the total. This support is gratefully received.
Probus Members cannow book online for free using the Probus Club fund.

Tuesday 16h September 2025, 2.30pm at the St Andrews Bowling Club.
The talk will last approximately 50mins.
There will be a short Q&A and a reception with tea, coffee and shortbreads will follow.
Memberships available at https://tinyurl.com/STAPTMembership

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Autumn Talk 3: Gibson House - A Beautiful Bequest
2025-10-21 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | St Andrews Bowling Club, 1 Pipeland Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8JN, United Kingdom
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Gibson House – A Beautiful Bequest

Guest Speaker Ian Davidson
Overlooking the West Port stands a neo Jacobean mansion, but appearances deceive. It was intended as a hospital for the people of the town. A beautiful bequest from an almost forgotten civic hero who gifted land and money to provide for the infirm. In the mid 19th century, when universal health care was an unimaginable dream, Gibson tried to ensure that his legacy would be to improve the lives of the people he knew in the place he loved. This talk will rediscover this philanthropist and the struggle to bring his bequest to life.

The St Andrews Preservation Trust is delighted to welcome you to our third and last Autumn Talk, to hear Ian Davidson speak on “Gibson House – A Beautiful Bequest”. We had the privilege of hearing Ian Davidson last year speaking about the the design influences on Kilrymont (formerly Madras College), and we are very pleased that he is returning to share his expertise on a new topic. We welcome speakers from across St Andrews, Dundee and Fife to share their work or pieces of research. In four years we have grown from smaller audiences of members to audience of 50-70 members of the Trust and the local community.

General admission £5, Trust Members £3
A 15p booking fee will be applied at checkout.
There will be options to add a voluntary donation and gift aid the full price of your ticket plus your donation – this benefits the Trust by reclaiming 25% of the total. This support is gratefully received.
Probus Members can now book online for free using the Probus Club fund.

Tuesday 21st October 2025, 2.30pm at the St Andrews Bowling Club.
The talk will last approximately 50mins.
There will be a short Q&A and a reception with tea, coffee and shortbreads will follow.
Memberships available at https://tinyurl.com/STAPTMembership

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Annual Lecture - D'Arcy Thompson
2025-11-19 19:00 - 20:30 (Europe/Paris) | St Andrews Bowling Club, 1 Pipeland Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8JN, United Kingdom
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D’Arcy Thompson – Pioneer of Life Sciences

Guest Speaker Matthew Jarron

The St Andrews Preservation Trust is delighted to welcome you to our Annual Lecture, to hear our former curator Matthew Jarron speak on “D’Arcy Thompson – Pioneer of Life Sciences”.
We welcome speakers from across St Andrews, Dundee and Fife to share their work or pieces of research in our seasonal talks and Annual Lecture. In four years we have grown from smaller audiences of members to audience of 50-70 or more members of the Trust and the local community.

General admission £9
Trust Members £7
A 15p booking fee will be applied at checkout.
There will be options to add a voluntary donation and gift aid the full price of your ticket plus your donation – this benefits the Trust by reclaiming 25% of the total. This support is gratefully received.
St Andrews Probus Members can now book online for free using the Probus Club fund.

Wednesday 19th November 2025, 7pm at the St Andrews Bowling Club.

The talk will last approximately 50mins.
There will be a short Q&A and a reception with wine and nibbles will follow.
Memberships available at https://tinyurl.com/STAPTMembership

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Winter Talk 1: Fisher & Donaldson: 106 Years in the Baking
2026-01-20 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | St Andrews Bowling Club, 1 Pipeland Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8JN, United Kingdom
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Winter Talk 1
Guest Speaker Chloe Milne
Fisher & Donaldson: 106 Years in the Baking
Chloe Milne, one of the fifth generation of local family bakery Fisher & Donaldson, joins us to share some of the history, stories and successes of the 106-year-old local institution.
From humble beginnings in Cupar to a World Record and receiving a Royal Warrant from the Queen, the business has seen more than its fair share of stress, success, fun and fanfare. Chloe will look back at the business’ long history as well as share their vision for the business and give a sneak peek of their new flagship shop & café currently being built on South Street.
The St Andrews Preservation Trust is delighted to welcome you to the first in our series of Winter Talks 2026. We welcome speakers from across St Andrews, Dundee and Fife to share their work or pieces of research. In four years we have grown from smaller audiences of members to audience of 50-70 members of the Trust and the local community.

General admission £7, Trust Members £5
There will be options to add a voluntary donation and gift aid the full price of your ticket plus your donation – this benefits the Trust by reclaiming 25% of the total. This support is gratefully received.
Probus Members can now book online for free using the Probus Club fund.

Tuesday 20th January 2026, 2.30pm at the St Andrews Bowling Club.
The talk will last approximately 50mins.
There will be a short Q&A and a reception with tea, coffee and shortbreads will follow.
Memberships available at https://tinyurl.com/STAPTMembership

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Winter Talk 2: Mount Melville
2026-02-17 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | St Andrews Bowling Club, 1 Pipeland Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8JN, United Kingdom
Winter Talk 2: Mount Melville

Guest Speaker David Scott

This talk will bring to life two historical figures associated with Mount Melville and who left their mark on St Andrews.

George John Whyte Melville – ‘the forgotten son of St Andrews’, who was a soldier, a highly popular prolific novelist and accomplished sportsman in the 19th century and Annie Thomson Younger nee Paton – ‘a woman ahead of her time’ who was wealthy enough to have been a lady of leisure but decided to take a leading role in the day to day operation of the Mount Melville Estate and farms.

The St Andrews Preservation Trust is delighted to welcome you to the second of our series of Winter Talks 2026. We welcome speakers from across St Andrews, Dundee and Fife to share their work or pieces of research. In four years we have grown from smaller audiences of members to audience of 70-90 members of the Trust and the local community.

Tuesday 17th February 2026, 2.30pm at the St Andrews Bowling Club.
The talk will last approximately 50mins.
There will be a short Q&A and a reception with tea, coffee and biscuits will follow.
Memberships available at https://tinyurl.com/STAPTMembership.

Winter Talk 3: 175 Years of Muir Walker Pride
2026-03-17 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | St Andrews Bowling Club, 1 Pipeland Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8JN, United Kingdom
Winter Talk 3: 175 Years of Muir Walker Pride

Guest Speaker Ian Muir

Following on from the closing of the exhibition of the same name at the St Andrews Heritage Museum, this talk will celebrate 175 years of contribution to the local architecture by one of the oldest firms of architects in Scotland, St Andrews based Muir Walker Pride. It will chart the changing nature of architectural practice and its reflection of society over the years.

“Architecture is everyone’s business. After all, it is the one art which affects everyone’s eyes and everyone’s comfort.” (St Andrews Citizen, 1928).

The Exhibition in on display at the St Andrews Heritage Museum, 12 North Street, St Andrews KY16 9PW, until the 15 March https://tinyurl.com/MuirWalkerPride.

The St Andrews Preservation Trust is delighted to welcome you to the last of our series of Winter Talks 2026. We welcome speakers from across St Andrews, Dundee and Fife to share their work or pieces of research. In four years we have grown from smaller audiences of members to audience of 60-90 members of the Trust and the local community.

Tuesday 17th March 2026, 2.30pm at the St Andrews Bowling Club.
The talk will last approximately 50mins.
There will be a short Q&A and a reception with tea, coffee and biscuits will follow.
Memberships available at https://tinyurl.com/STAPTMembership.
