St. Andrews was the first day trip I took while studying abroad at the beginning of this semester. About a 2 and a half hour train ride from Glasgow and Stirling and 1 and a half hours away from Edinburgh, it is doable from most places in the central belt of Scotland. Get an early start to arrive in St. Andrews around 9 or 10am to get the most out of the day!
If your goals are to play golf at the iconic Old Course, you might need to make other plans, but for the typical tourist, most places can all be visited in one day and you can be back at your home base in time for dinner!
Spoiled Life Clothing, Lifestyle, and Coffee Store
Upon arrival in St. Andrews, head to Spoiled Life and grab a coffee! You can also head downstairs and check out the wonderful selection of clothes and accessories. This is the perfect place to start your day in St. Andrews!
Topping & Company Booksellers of St. Andrews
After coffe (and maybe a pastry), make sure to check out Topping & Company! This bookstore has four locations, Edinburgh, Bath, Ely, and St. Andrews. It is one of the biggest bookstores I have ever been to and has a very wide selection! If you’re like me, you could spend several hours browsing this wonderful bookstore!
The Old Course and the Beach
After Topping & Company, we headed to the Old Course to walk around the iconic golf course. After the course, we headed to the nearby beach. Being late January, we were not planning on getting in the water, but it was still wonderful to walk by the water!
Lunch
Around this time, we were feeling really peckish, and it was time for lunch! There are so many wonderful options for lunch at varying price points throughout the city. Head to the Michelin Starred Haar or a cheaper pub or anything in between! We headed to The Saint Bar & Kitchen, which was wonderful! The mac and cheese was amazing, and I loved the sticky toffee pudding for dessert! Whatever you are feeling, St. Andrews is sure to have a restaurant for you.
St. Andrews Museum
After lunch, head to St. Andrews Museum. As a fairly small museum, you probably won’t need more than an hour to explore! Housed in a Victorian mansion, the St. Andrews Museum holds several temporary exhibitions to explore.
St. Andrews Castle
The ancient, historic castle overlooking the sea is a must visit in St. Andrews! This was probably my favorite thing we did. The first part of the castle includes a museum to teach you all about the history of the castle. Then you can explore the castle outside! This castle is quite ruined, making for an even more exciting exploration!
St. Andrews Cathedral
The ruined cathedral in St. Andrews is also a must-see! We arrived too late to go in (all the museums above close at 4:00pm which is definitely something to keep in mind), but we still walked by and enjoyed the view!
Jannettas Gelateria
Perhaps some of the best gelato I have ever tasted (and I’ve been to Italy three times). Opening in 1908, Jannettas has been serving some of the best gelato for over a century! It is amazing. There are so many options for standard and more unique flavors! This is a must.
Honorable Mentions
Above are all the places I went to on my day trip to St. Andrews, but I know there are many other options that we did not get to! Here are a few other options worth consideration:
- St. Rules Tower
- St. Andrews University
- Ladies Putting Course
- St. Andrews Brewing Co
And of course, there are many shops to check out and spend your money!
No matter how you choose to spend your day, St. Andrews is sure worth a visit!
*I do not own the rights to all of the photos used
Vagabonds 