Scotland St. Andrews area: accommodations and non-golf activities
 

We've just learned that our college age daughter will be spending the summer in Ireland for an internship. So now we are madly trying to make our plans to meet her toward the end of the internship (late July), travel Ireland for a while, then to Scotland, and on to England. My question is about Scotland: My husband and 22 yr old son really want to golf in Scotland, particularly at St. Andrews. We are thinking about staying in the St. Andrews area for 3 days or so and try to get a tee time for them through the lottery. Meanwhile, we need non-golf activities/sights, ect for me and my two daughters, and for the golfers when they're not golfing. We love outdoor activities, perhaps a little shopping and historical sight-seeing. Does this make sense? Anyone have any thoughts on activities/sights in the area for us? And can anyone recommend a reasonably priced cottage or B&B in the area? We're a family of 5, kids 17, 20 & 22. We'll be there the first week of August, and the luxury hotels appear to be already booked. Our budget is flexible..

There is soooooo much to see/do in and around Fife you could spend 3 weeks let alone 3 days.

St Andrews itself is worth most of a day w/ the castle, Cathedral, shops, old Course, West Sands. If you are there on a Sunday there is no play on the Old Course and it essentially becomes a vast city park. So even IF they are unsuccessful on the lottery, they could still walk the course.

Then there are the wonderful fishing villages (Crail, Anstruther, Pittenweem, etc). Falkland Palace/Gardens. A boat trip from Anstruther to the Isle of May which is an amazing bird sanctuary w/ many different species -- can you say <u>Puffins</u> :) A bit of a drive north is Glamis Castle--and then there is Carnoustie (which is an <i>evil</i> course that may break them of the habit) >:-)

And of course it is not that far to Edinburgh, and places like Castle Campbell or even Stirling.

There's the RRS Discovery in Dundee - and the Desperate Dan statue

First week of August means previews of shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - half the price, sometime a bit rocky but always interesting

Great suggestions... All sounds wonderful, especially the boat trip and puffins. Any advice on a place to stay?

Agree with all the suggestions above. For something totally off the wall but chillingly fascinating, you could visit the nuclear bunker (now open to the public) between St Andrews and Anstruther: http://www.secretbunker.co.uk/

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Thank-you all for marvelous suggestions! We are considering adding an extra day or two to our time in Fife.

Hi Lebb64,
My husband, son and I were in Fife June 2010. We stayed at the Old Course Hotel as part of a ridiculously expensive package from the "Old Course Experience". It was the only way to get my guys on the Old Course and it was a special, "once-in-a-life-time" celebration of our son graduating from his university.

I looked in my Fodor's Scotland guide book and they list the Inn at Lathones, www.theinn.co.uk in St. Andrews. It's described as a "reasonable alternative for golfers" from the grand hotels. There may be others on Fodors.com

We hired a car and driver from Edinburgh to take us to St. Andrews via the scenic fishing villages along the coast. Our first stop was in Elie harbor. It was among the most beautiful, breathtaking scenery I have seen! The sun was shining, glistening off the water, boats bobbing and tugging at their moorings. Hardly any people around! Lovely silence while we soaked up every rugged, craggy inch of the harbor.

Next stop was Anstruther, a bustling town on the water. We ate at a great restaurant called the Anstruther Fish Bar and Restaurant...UK Fish & Chips Shop of the Year!! 2008-2009. We were told it shouldn't be missed and we had a great time. Lucky for us the line wasn't out the door and down the street as, evidently, it usually is. Quite an experience and the fish and chips were great. We visited The Scottish Fisheries Museum that was quite interesting. Since my son and husband were anxious to get to St. Andrew we didn't visit the Isle of May which is a nature reserve. The May Princess is a boat that takes you to the Isle of May from Anstruther Harbor every day, weather permitting. www.isleofmayferry.com

So, if you have a car you would enjoy Elie and Anstruther as a day trip from St. Andrews.

I wandered around St. Andrews myself shopping, walking through the University, and walking along the beach where the ruins are. So incredible beautiful. I couldn't get enough.
I was lucky enough to see a lovely wedding in town, smiling right now just thinking about it!

I also visited a tiny town called Crail. Probably my favorite place (so far!) in Scotland. Easily walkable in 20 minutes but so very charming!

Don't miss Crail Pottery or the Crail Museum & Heritage Centre. Even the local butcher shop, J.P. Penman, was lovely! Festooned with colorful flower pots full of petunia, geraniums and impatiens. Loved the stone and stucco cottages with their weathered clay roofs situated on steep and winding lanes, overlooking the sea. I had lunch at a little tea room just up from the tiny harbor area. I wish I could think of the name! I was able to grab an outdoor table under an umbrella on the stone patio right on the water. As you can tell I loved Crail.

I didn't mean to be so wordy but I still can't get over the beauty of Fife! Have a wonderful time and I hope you will write a trip report, unlike me the procrastinator!!

Pam

I googled and found the little tea room!!
http://www.crailharbourgallery.co.uk...ry/tearoom.cfm

Me again. You might want to look at www.vrbo.com for vacation rentals by owner.
You can choose Scotland and then St. Andrews. This cottage looks wonderful:
www.vrbo.com/244649

Further to my recommendation for Dundee

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...ntral-12251961

Pam, Many thanks! You described your experiences so beautifully--your enthusiasm is contagious! And the information is very helpful. I'll keep you posted!
Linda

This place is run by a fellow I use to work with.

http://www.dunvegan-hotel.com/index.html

What do you consider 'reasonably priced'? There are many nice B&Bs all around the East Neuk (Crail, Anstruther, etc) and in St Andrews itself.

St Andrews has its own charms. A trip underneath the castle in St. Andrews, Fife. It can be a bit of a squeeze so if you are claustrophobic then probably best to pass on this one. John Knox used to live in this castle - also get chance to see the bottle dungeon. St. Andrews has an ancient university and a cathedral. It has one of the best beaches in the world- the West Sands, which is where they filmed the opening sequence of Chariots of Fire- shame about the weather- and one of the best ice cream shops in the world (Jannetta's) apart from being a lovely little town.

In Anstruther, visit the fishing museum, Then have the best fish in the world for your lunch. After that drive along the coast to Largo, home of the 'original' Robinson Crusoe. When Daniel Defoe wrote about Robinson Crusoe, he was writing about a real person. His name was Alexander Selkirk and he came from Largo in Fife. Defoe was an English spy up in Scotland in the 1700's and nicked the story. That area of Fife is well worth a visit

Restaurants in the area which are very good would include the the Seafood Restaurant in St Andrews Ostler's Close in Cupar, the Cellar in Anstruther, the Cellar in St Monan's, the Peat Inn at Peat Inn and Sangster's in Elie.

You have Loch Leven castle where Mary Queen of Scots was locked up and escaped from; and Vane Farm Bird Reserve on the other side of the Loch. For hiking, there's the Fife Coastal path that runs along the entire coast .

In Dunfermilne, Robert the Bruce, the hero king who won Bannockburn is buried in the Abbey (although his heart is buried at Melrose in the borders);
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