It’s home to a 170-year-old pub, world-famous golf, medieval cathedral ruins and a legendary bakery that all visitors have to try.
Summer is almost here, making it an ideal opportunity to escape for a short break. If you fancy visiting somewhere with outstanding cuisine, stunning scenery, a fascinating past and a calming atmosphere, there’s one spot that deserves a place on your travel list – and once you visit, you’ll want to come back again and again.
Home to one of Britain’s most ancient universities, St Andrews on Scotland’s east coast is truly unique. Where else might you find a 170-year-old pub a stone’s throw away from an Oliver Bonas? It’s a location I’ve visited so many times, yet every trip uncovers something new to experience.
On a weekend getaway to Lower Largo, a tiny village in Fife, we popped into St Andrews for the afternoon. From Edinburgh it’s approximately an hour and a half’s drive, while from Glasgow it’s an hour and three quarters.
Whether you’re enthusiastic about it or not, most people probably know that St Andrews is primarily known for its golfing legacy.
The Old Course, one of the world’s most famous courses, boasts an iconic landmark that demands a picture, no matter how frequently you’ve been.
The Swilcan Bridge, constructed over 700 years ago, was our initial stop on this outing. Located on the course’s 18th hole, stepping onto the green feels extraordinary, yet it offers the ideal photo opportunity. You’ll inevitably come across fellow tourists, so you may need to queue briefly for your photo opportunity, but it’s absolutely worth the wait. Just a two-minute walk away sits the fantastic Jigger Inn pub, which was our next port of call for a bite to eat.
Dating back to the 1850s, the Jigger Inn is a cosy, welcoming pub with roaring fires that gazes out over the golf course. There’s a brilliant selection of drinks at the bar, or you can sit down and order from the menu, which is exactly what we chose to do.
Nobody will convince me there’s a better combination than a caesar salad, chips and wine, and the Jigger Inn delivered all three brilliantly.
Suitably fed and watered, it was time to explore the town itself. It’s not the largest, with most shops and attractions spread across roughly three main streets, yet you could happily wander around for hours without getting bored.
St Andrews is a truly remarkable place, with its medieval heritage plainly visible as you stroll through its streets. The university began teaching in 1413, which is extraordinary to think about, particularly given that it remains a thriving academic institution to this day.
There’s no denying it’s an exceptionally wealthy area. Students from all corners of the world move here to study, and its multiculturalism only adds to its charm. It’s also famously where William and Catherine first met and sparked their romance.
One of the main attractions is the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, located close to the waterfront. It was built back in 1158, and was previously the largest church in Scotland. Little remains of it today, and it has since been transformed into a graveyard.
Sadly, there was ring fencing surrounding numerous graves due to possible structural concerns, but it’s still a haunting yet captivating place to explore.
There’s so much going on in St Andrews that you nearly overlook the sea being right there. Just past the Old Course sits the celebrated West Sands Beach, which actually appeared in that memorable scene at the start of Chariots of Fire.
Had it been a bit warmer, this would have been the perfect location for a walk, but the wind was battering us from side to side so we opted to retreat into the shelter of the town centre.
St Andrews is brimming with superb shops, from high street names such as H&M and Jo Malone to independent boutiques and retailers that you won’t discover elsewhere. As a passionate reader, I was keen to visit Topping and Company, a popular family-owned booksellers with a handful of stores across the UK.
The staff were friendly and helpful, and the range of books available were outstanding. There was an entire table of signed first editions at the front of the shop, and the shelves appeared to extend upwards and deeper into the shop for miles.
It’s the kind of spot where you could easily spend hours browsing – and potentially spend a lot of money. Thankfully, I succeeded in restricting myself to just one book, which proved quite the test of willpower.
There was only one more destination to visit on our trip, and if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll definitely want to know about it.
A trip to St. Andrews wouldn’t be complete without stopping by Fisher and Donaldson. Founded in Fife in 1919, this family-run bakery is renowned for one thing above all else: its fudge doughnuts.
Hailed as the best in Scotland, these indulgent delights are filled with fresh custard and topped with a mouth-watering fudge icing.
While other cakes and biscuits are on offer, the fudge doughnut really steals the show. We grabbed a few to have with a coffee later, and unsurprisingly, they disappeared quickly.
St Andrews is just a lovely place to spend the day or even the weekend if you want to take it slower. It’s pleasant whatever the weather, but in the summer when the sun is shining, it’s truly unbeatable.
