Did Time Begin in St Andrews?
James Gregory’s Forgotten Line
When people talk about where time begins, most think of Greenwich. But what if the real story started in St Andrews?
Back in 1673, a brilliant Scottish scientist named James Gregory drew a meridian line right through his lab at the University of St Andrews. That was almost 200 years before the world picked Greenwich as the official line for timekeeping.
Fast forward to today—and St Andrews has finally put Gregory back on the map. A new plaque and brass line have been added to South Street, right outside where his lab once stood.
Some people now say St Andrews could have been “the place where time began.” And honestly? They might be right.
So, What’s a Meridian Line Anyway?
A meridian is just a line running from the North Pole to the South Pole. It helps us figure out how far east or west a place is.
Today, we all use the Greenwich Meridian. It became the global standard in 1884. Before that, though, there were dozens of different meridians—Europe alone had more than 20!
Gregory’s line came long before Greenwich. It sits a bit further west, which means it’s about 12 minutes behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). If things had gone a little differently, we could all be using “St Andrews Mean Time” instead.
You Can Walk the Line
To celebrate Gregory’s work, the university laid a brass strip into the pavement on South Street. It shows where his original 2.4km meridian line ran.
It’s right outside the King James Library, where Gregory worked all those years ago.
Dr John Adamson, a senior lecturer in maths, called it the first long and accurate meridian line in the world.
“Gregory was ahead of his time,” he said. “If he’d lived longer, maybe we’d all be using STAMT—St Andrews Mean Time.”
Fun fact: Gregory’s line would actually place Aberdeen and even London in the eastern hemisphere, not the western one.
Who Was James Gregory?
Gregory wasn’t just a guy who drew a line. He was a big deal in science.
In 1668, he became the first Regius Professor of Mathematics at St Andrews. Later, he joined the Royal Society—one of the most respected science groups in the world.
He helped invent calculus, built the Gregorian telescope, and made major discoveries about light.
He might not be a household name, but his work helped shape modern science.
Now, thanks to this new memorial, people are finally starting to give him the credit he deserves.
