Lammas Market draws mixed reviews from traders & locals

Often drawing mixed views from local traders Councillor Brian Thomson believes this year was a success, citing good weather a draw for big crowds. He said: “The Market is a great tradition in St Andrews – loved by many locals and visitors alike – and whilst I know there are often some grumbles, I’ve not received any complaints so far this year. Any feedback received – positive or negative – will be reviewed in due course, and hopefully used to enhance the experience of visitors and address any concerns that some businesses may have.”

Despite efforts in previous years to make the event more welcoming to families, a spokeperson for the St Andrews Merchants’ Association felt that trade was not as successful as it has been in the past. Lindsey Adam, chairman of the Association and owner of Bonkers, said: “We have worked with Fife Council and some of the operators in the last few years to address issues such as noise from the rides. And this year we noticed some gaps in the rides and stalls which is not ideal in the long term – impacting on how much of an attraction the market is.

Rhonda McCrimmon, BID St Andrews said: “BID St Andrews have noted some concern from some of our levy paying businesses regarding a loss of footfall during the event. We are, therefore, excited to be joining the Lammas liaison committee who work hard to improve the market year on year. BID St Andrews hope to achieve increased participation by the local business community in the coming years.”

Despite trading concerns, the event remained trouble-free, with Sergeant Patrick Turner, Police Scotland, adding that routine patrols confirmed everything had run smoothly, notwithstanding the usual traffic issues.