Accessible Shops in St Andrews
St Andrews, the ‘Home of Golf’, is a picturesque town with an historic university and stunning, dramatic coastal scenery. It offers plenty of St Andrews history, brilliant shops, and friendly locals. And a friendly, homely feel not found in the bigger cities of Scotland. More importantly than any of that, though, it also boasts plenty of accessible places to visit, from its museums to its fish and chip shops!
If you’re thinking about visiting St Andrews soon, but you’re concerned about how accessible the town is, you’ll be surprised by the town’s dedication to inclusivity!
Wheelchair friendly stores
One of the most important things when it comes to accessibility in a town centre is to ensure everyone can access the shops, and St Andrews has made great efforts to do exactly that. The majority of stores have step-free entrances, such as WHSmiths which has a ramp for wheelchair users. Other stores, like Oxfam, Cancer Research UK and many shops on South Street, have entrances at street level, allowing wheelchair users easy access. Quite a few of these stores also have automatic doors to make accessibility even easier! You can take a trip to the Salvation Army, The Crystal Shop, and plenty of other unique and interesting shops. By the time you’re done, you’ll find that you’re all shopped out!
Market Street, and South Street, have lovely wide pavements suitable for mobility scooters and wheelchairs. Along Church Street, stores like the St Andrews Citizen, White Stuff and Fisher and Donaldson are all at street level.
Visitors will also find that St Andrews locals are eager to help. When a store is not as accessible, staff will often be happy to assist where possible.
Parking facilities
Accessible shopping begins with good, reliable, accessible parking. St Andrews has designated parking spaces for people with disabilities through the town centre. Ensuring that those who rely on vehicles for mobility have convenient access to shops. There are also ample car parks around the town centre. Such as St Mary’s Place, ideal for those shopping on South Street and Market Street. Or Murrary Place Car Park, which is ideal for the museums, Old Course or St Andrews Golf Course.
If you require a vehicle to get you somewhere, St Andrews has accessible taxis, too. Gibbs Taxis has a largely accessible fleet of taxis. And are happy to help you make the most of your time in the town. Stagecoach also runs bus services through and around the town. They offer wheelchair spaces on their services as well as priority disabled seating.
More than just shops
St Andrews’ accessibility doesn’t stop there, either. There are great places to shop, but there are also accessible museums like the Wardlaw Museum. It has a lift, a disabled toilet, and an accessible roof terrace. And, when you’re ready or refuel, there’s a brilliant and accessible fish and chip shop, too.
Cromars is fully equipped with a ramp and staff who are happy to help wherever possible. The restaurant also welcomes guide dogs, emotional support, or assistance dogs. Cromars, just like the rest of St Andrews, hopes to be inclusive of everyone wherever possible. Whether that’s by providing detailed information regarding the allergens on our menu. Or making sure that you can get comfortably seated in our restaurant – let us know how we can help you!