Fergus Wilkie’s childhood memories of running across the iconic West Sands in St Andrews have never left him.
The lure of this historic town has always been strong for the photographer.
It was these happy, nostalgic memories that eventually led Fergus back to the Sands in 2015, when he upped sticks to St Andrews from London.
A few years after his return, Fergus began developing a new photography book to show that this old town is still full of life.
With the ancient castle ruins and the world’s oldest golf course, St Andrews could seem like a relic – but Fergus says that’s not all the town’s about.
He said: “St Andrews is a living, breathing place, it’s a vibrant place. I want to give people snapshots of the life that still exists here.
“It might make a nice memento one day – to show how people looked at the time.”
St Andrews Photographs includes 137 new images of the town although the project wasn’t planned to be a book from the beginning.
“Initially I just started taking photos,” he said.
“I wanted to show the town in the best light.
“I’ve always brought a human element into my photography, and so I wanted to do the same for St Andrews.
“That’s what brings this old town to life again – showing how it is used and experienced by people now.”
Fergus said St Andrews is somewhere that has always held a special place in his heart given his own family’s strong connections to the golf town.
Just days after World War Two ended, his father began studying physics at St Andrews University.
His father’s fondness for the town was what brought him back as a married man, with younger Fergus and his siblings in tow.
Fergus said: “My father grew up in Buckhaven, but moved to England as an adult.
“That’s where I grew up.
“I spent a lot of time in St Andrews as a kid, attending the Lammas Fair and running around on the Sands.
“It’s a place of good memories for me.
“But coming back to St Andrews felt like a homecoming for me.
“I’ve spent so much time here that I feel like an honorary Fifer.”
Fergus also attributes his honorary status as a Fifer to his surname, Wilkie.
He said: “There are a few Fife artists who share the name, so I do feel a connection to it.”
One such artist was David Wilkie, the painter from Pitlessie who was appointed Royal Limner for Scotland – the Court Painter for King George IV.
Wilkie was sometimes known as the “people’s painter”.
Fergus’ new book is a culmination of his entire career.
Starting as a photographer and picture editor for the Financial Times, he later became a freelance photographer when its picture desk closed.
As a freelancer he did a mix of business portraits and scenic shots, which influenced his shots of St Andrews.
He then spent some time working in the Caribbean where he edited and assembled several photography books.
Then he decided it was time to do a book of his own.
He said: “It’s been quite a liberating experience, being in control of everything for once.
“It’s not just been about delivering a brief, or helping someone with the edit.
“I’ve been able to create something on my own terms.”
Fergus narrowed down the 137 chosen photographs from a collection of thousands.
He described knowing which ones to choose as instinctive.
“You just know,” he said.
“You want something that’s different. Something that gives a new perspective to the viewer.”
Beginning in 2019, the project has taken him two and a half years to complete – although not every aspect of the town has been captured.
He said: “There are no captions in the book, so the photographs had to stand up on their own. I didn’t just want to include images for the sake of it.”
The photographs in Fergus’ book run into one another, taking its viewer on a west-to-east journey through the town.
Beginning at the West Sands, it journeys through the golf course, the bustling high street, the university buildings, and ends at the East Harbour.
Fergus noted the changes across the town since his last visit.
He said: “There’s a lot of new architecture, but it fits in with the older stuff quite well.
“There’s a nice combination of history and modernity.”
- Fergus Wilkie’s photography book, St Andrews Photographs, is out now at www.fototank.com.
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