Every hall, and how to get around St Andrews.
St Andrews is compact enough to cross on foot in twenty minutes, but the halls are scattered from the very centre to the edge of town. Here's where each one sits, what that means for your walk to lectures, and how to actually move your life across town on day one.
The first question every new student asks: 'how far is my hall from everything?' The honest answer — in St Andrews, never very far.
The town is built around three parallel streets running down to the cathedral and the sea. Most halls are a 5–15 minute walk from lectures, the library and the shops. You will not need a car to live here.
What you will need is a plan for move-in day, when everything you own has to travel from an airport or a car to a hall room — often up a flight or two of stairs.
Roughly where the halls sit
Hall allocations and names change over time, so always check your official offer for the exact address. As a general feel for the geography:
Central & in-town halls
Some halls sit right in the heart of town, steps from North Street and the main academic buildings. Brilliant for rolling out of bed before a 9am — though the centre can be lively at night.
Seafront & East Sands side
A cluster of halls sit towards the harbour and East Sands, a short walk from the cathedral and the sea. Beautiful views, a gentle uphill walk back from town.
North Haugh & west side
Closest to the science and maths buildings and the sports centre, on the Edinburgh side of town. A 10–15 minute walk into the centre along the main approach road.
Out-of-town & self-catered
A few residences sit a little further out or are self-catered flats. Cheaper and quieter, with a slightly longer (but still walkable) commute.
Getting around once you're settled
On foot
Your default. Nothing in the town centre is more than a 20-minute walk away, and most of your day is 5–10 minutes door to door.
By bike
Popular for the North Haugh and out-of-town halls. Buy second-hand in September; the cobbles in the very centre are bumpy but manageable.
Buses & trains
Local buses link St Andrews to Leuchars station, Dundee and the East Neuk. Handy for day trips and the nearest railway, less so for getting around town itself.
Door-to-door transfers
Where we come in: airport runs, moving trunks at the start and end of term, late-night arrivals, and trips home for the holidays — straight to your hall entrance.
Move-in day, made simple
The hard part of arriving isn't the distance — it's the luggage. Long-haul flight, multiple heavy bags, a hall room up two flights of stairs, and a town with cobbled streets that wheeled suitcases hate.
If you're flying in, a pre-booked transfer takes you and everything you own from the airport straight to your hall door. If you're already in town and need to move trunks between storage, a flat and a hall, we can help with that too. Book the start-of-term and end-of-term moves early — those weeks are the busiest in our calendar.
A note on storage between terms
Many international students can't take everything home over the summer. Between secure luggage storage in town and end-of-term move help, you don't have to lug it all to the airport and back.
See our luggage storage guide for where to safely leave bags, and talk to us about moving the heavier items when halls close.
Moving in, or moving on?
From airport-to-hall arrivals to end-of-term trunk moves, we take the heavy lifting out of student life in St Andrews. Book the same trusted driver for every trip.
Book a move or transfer