St Salvator's Hall

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St Salvator's Hall, known by students as Sallies, is a student residence at the University of St Andrews in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It sits near the United College quadrangle and St Salvator's Chapel and is between North Street and The Scores. The hall is a large, rambling Gothic building designed for Oxbridge-style living, and it was built between 1930 and 1933 after funding from American philanthropist Edward Harkness. It was designed by Mills & Shepherd and later extended. It was originally a male-only hall and is now mixed gender. St Salvator's Hall is a Grade B listed building.

The hall houses about 196 students in 65 single rooms and 63 shared rooms. It has three main floors, A, B and C, plus a D-block extension. The D-Block now connects to the main building by a hallway. St Salvator’s also has Gannochy House, its own annex, which provides extra space for undergraduates with kitchens, a study room, laundry facilities and a courtyard. The west wing includes a small library and study room, while the ground floor has a computer room and post area. The basement area hosts a snooker table, table tennis, a cinema setup for movie nights, and laundry facilities; the basement was refurbished in 2009.

Inside, the dining room is oak-panelled, and the stained-glass windows were designed by William Wilson. The windows and paintings in the dining room depict notable university figures such as David Beaton, James Graham (the 1st Marquess of Montrose), and Edward Harkness. The Common Room downstairs is also oak-panelled and contains a grand piano and a television, and is filled with photos of students from the 1930s to today.

The hall has a history of health incidents, including a mass poisoning in January 1945 from sausages contaminated with arsenic trioxide, and a Legionella outbreak in November 2020 that briefly affected the water supply.

Meals and life: residents are offered 19 meals a week, with two courses at lunch and three courses at dinner (weekdays; weekend dinners are sometimes different). The Hall Committee runs weekly events, including ceilidhs, quizzes and whisky tastings. There are four members on the executive committee, plus four Assistant Wardens who are available each evening.

Traditions and events: St Salvator’s hosts a weekly High Table dinner on Thursdays during term, where residents dress formally and enjoy a sherry reception before a three-course meal and a guest talk. A Christmas formal involves the whole Hall Committee at High Table, followed by a festive gathering in the Common Room. Freshers’ Week helps new students settle in, and Sallies Day on the front lawn is a popular social day. The hall is well known for its connection to campus life and is often regarded as one of the most prestigious residences at St Andrews. The May Dip and May Ball are also key annual events.