Raisin Weekend
The town's most chaotic, most beloved student tradition.
Raisin Weekend is a uniquely St Andrews institution: 'academic families' of older students take their first-year 'children' through a weekend of revelry, culminating in a vast, costumed shaving-foam fight in St Salvator's Quad on the Monday morning. It dates back centuries to a tradition of thanking older students with a pound of raisins.
Raisin draws visiting friends and family from other universities and cities for the weekend, creating a spike in inbound transfers. The Monday foam fight also means a town-centre full of students and a Quad area best avoided by car — local knowledge of the timing helps everyone arrive smoothly.
The things that define the week.
Older 'parents' guide first-year 'children' through a weekend of events and gentle chaos.
Monday morning in St Salvator's Quad descends into a legendary shaving-foam battle.
Students from other universities pour in for the weekend, lifting demand for inbound transfers.
How to arrive without the stress.
- Book weekend transfers early — visiting friends fill the town.
- Avoid driving near St Salvator's Quad on the Monday morning.
- Arrange a fixed pickup point away from the centre for an easy getaway.
Questions.
Noticeably — Raisin pulls in visitors from across the UK. Book your weekend transfers ahead and we'll route you cleanly around the town-centre crowds.
Travelling for Raisin? Book early.
We know the access, the timings and the local logistics this week demands. Tell us your dates and we'll take care of the journey.
The oldest major in golf, on the most famous course on earth.
Tour pros and famous faces, across three of Scotland's great links.
The proudest days in the St Andrews academic year.