The St Andrews Aquarium occupies a clifftop building on The Scores, directly above the sea, and is principally aimed at families with children. It is modest in scale compared to the large commercial aquariums in British cities, but it has one notable advantage: a good collection of North Sea and Scottish coastal species in tanks that are a reasonable size for the animals.
The harbour seal pool is the main attraction — the seals are fed at scheduled times and the interaction with the keepers is genuinely educational rather than pure performance. Scottish native species — conger eels, dogfish, octopus, thornback rays — are well-represented. The tropical fish section is present but is not really the point; what the aquarium does well is to explain the marine ecosystem immediately outside the door.
Entry is around £12 for adults, £9 for children. It is a reasonable two-hour option for families, especially on a day when the weather makes beach-going or the cathedral ruins unappealing. Adult visitors without children will find it pleasant but not essential.