What is st andrews monastery?

St. Andrews Monastery was a medieval religious establishment located in the town of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland. It was founded in the 8th century by the Celtic bishop, St. Regulus, and later became the center of the Scottish Church. The monastery was home to a community of monks who followed the Rule of St. Benedict and carried out activities such as farming, fishing, and manuscript production.

The monastery gained great importance after the relics of St. Andrew, one of the twelve apostles, were brought to the site in the 10th century. It became a place of pilgrimage and was visited by many Scottish kings, including Malcolm III and Robert the Bruce.

St. Andrews Monastery was also a renowned center of learning, with a library that contained many important manuscripts. Notable scholars who studied or taught at the monastery include John Duns Scotus and John Knox.

However, the monastery's fortunes declined during the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, when it was dissolved and many of its buildings were destroyed. Today, only a few ruins remain of what was once a major religious and cultural institution in Scotland.