Swilken Burn

Approaching the sea and flowing through the golf course, the Swilken Burn used to change its course from time to time, until 1834 when the construction of retaining walls took place, fixing the course of the stream for the first time. In 1879, the course of the burn within the golf course was changed as a result of a dispute between landowners. At least until the mid-19th century, the Swilken Burn was used by townspeople to wash their clothes. The 1842 rulebook adopted by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews stipulated that "When a ball lies on clothes or within a club-length of a washing tub, the clothes may be drawn from under the ball, and the tub may be removed."