Lady’s St Andrews Travel Guide for Scotland

Today I want to bring you my St Andrews travel guide. This seaside town on the coast in Fife is one of the best places to visit in Scotland. It’s a must on any itinerary, and I’ll show you why.

St Andrews Travel Guide

I arrived in St Andrews after celebrating Hogmanay in Edinburgh and going on a Scottish Highlands tour.

I traveled everywhere from the Isle of Skye to Loch Ness, and afterwards I was excited to visit Fife and explore one of Scotland’s most famous towns.

While St Andrews is best known for golf, there’s more to this place than just fairways and putting greens.

In fact, nine out of 10 people that travel to the home of the sport don’t even play. I’m one of them. So what is there to do there if you don’t tee off on the Old Course? A lot.

St Andrews Cathedral and Castle

As a Californian in awe of any architectural feat that predates 1950, one of the highlights of my time in Scotland was exploring the ruins of St Andrews’ cathedral and castle.

The cathedral—or what’s left of it—consists of a few stone walls and towers with gravestones in between. Despite its incompleteness, the place retains a haunting beauty.

The castle in St Andrews is similarly a relic, with its golden walls rising up out of the sea. It even has secret tunnels beneath it that were dug in an attempt (and counter-attempt) to blow up the building during the Reformation.

University of St Andrews

The cathedral and castle aren’t the only feats of non-golf history in St Andrews, either. There’s academic heritage here, too.

The University of St Andrews was founded in 1413 and is the third oldest in the United Kingdom after Oxford and Cambridge.

Its buildings are sprinkled throughout the town in a series of beautiful stone structures that date back centuries.

St Andrews Restaurants and Cafes

On the newer end of the spectrum, St Andrews has an abundance of cafes and restaurants that kept my inner foodie happy throughout my stay.

From the adorable Bibi’s Cafe to the wonderfully cozy Mitchell’s deli and the St Andrews Wine Company, there was no shortage of options for food and drink.

I also enjoyed a light lunch compliments of the Scores Hotel, which overlooked the beach, and a dinner compliments of the The Doll’s House restaurant, where Will and Kate used to go on date nights when they were students at the university.

St Andrews Hotel

When I wasn’t eating or exploring, I was staying in the comfort of the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews.

The five-star property offered me a two-night stay during my trip to Scotland, and I was able to take advantage of everything from the excellent breakfast buffet (best haggis I’ve ever had) to walks around the grounds.

Although the hotel was located a 10-minute drive from the town, there was an hourly shuttle between 9am and 6pm that helped cover the distance.

Golf in St Andrews

But back to golf. That is what St Andrews is known for, after all, and on Sundays the Old Course is closed to golfers and open to the rest of us.

Taking advice from the locals, I went for a walk with some others in my group and visited the famous Swilcan Bridge, where many a golfing legend has posed for a photo after winning a tournament.

Near the bridge was the unofficial 19th hole, The Jigger Inn pub. The historic interior was perfectly pub-like, with dark wood booths accented by tartan pillows. If this was golf, I was happy to be playing.

St Andrews Travel Guide for Scotland

But I was really happy just exploring the town, with its beautiful streets and historic atmosphere. It’s no wonder that 90% of people who travel to St Andrews don’t golf. There are too many other things to do.

If you get a chance to visit, I hope my St Andrews travel guide helps you plan your perfect trip, even if it’s just a day trip from Edinburgh.

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