20 pubs in two hours A St Andrews University welcome for new rector Catherine Stihler

St Andrews University students gave their 52nd rector, Catherine Stihler MEP, a warm welcome by escorting her around the town’s various public houses ahead of her formal installation today.

The 41-year-old arrived in style for the ‘Student Drag’ in a Packard 400 vintage car and received her first gift from Sean McDonald, station manager at St Andrews radio station, Star Radio.

Thursday’s event may have only lasted a modest two hours, compared to previous years’ six-hour pub stints, but Ms Stihler managed to visit no fewer than 20 different venues during her whirlwind pub crawl which started at Criterion on South Street and finished at the Union bar.

Other establishments on the Drag list included Rule, Aikman’s, Brew Pub, Droothy’s, Westport, Whey Pat, Blue Stane, Vic, Keys, Central, College Gate, Barron Theatre, Rascals, Taste, Ogstens, Greyfriars, 1 Golf Place and Rusacks.

A St Andrews graduate and former student president, Ms Stihler has been a member of the European Parliament for Scotland since 1999 and is the only female MEP representing Scotland.

She said she was looking forward to working with students and would “work hard” to protect St Andrews’ traditions.