An explosive celebration of 600 years of Scotland’s oldest university will light up the sky as well as the streets of St Andrews.
A two-day academic commemoration of six centuries of the university during which former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be honoured will climax with a £10,000 fireworks display.
The pyrotechnic extravaganza and a torchlit parade will be staged on Saturday, the day after the graduation ceremony in which Mrs Clinton will be given an honorary degree.
As previously reported, she and 17 others considered among the best minds of our generation will be rewarded by the university on Friday, including inventor of the worldwide web Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Britain’s best-known classicist Professor Mary Beard.
Aimed at bringing town and gown together, it is thought the celebration for staff, students and the people of St Andrews will be the biggest of its kind in the town’s history, with several hundred academics taking part in four processions.
It begins on Friday with a private service of thanksgiving in Holy Trinity Parish Church followed by a procession to St Salvator’s Quadrangle at noon.
On the Saturday a torchlit procession will leave the quadrangle at 7.45pm, bound for the fireworks display taking place at the harbour.