What to see and do in St Andrews, Scotland

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This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

In medieval times, the bones of St Andrew, patron saint of Scotland’s Pictish people, were brought to a small, wind-worn town atop a sandstone plateau in Fife, on the country’s east coast. These relics conferred such celebrity that a bishop took up residence, a great cathedral was commissioned and the town — now known as St Andrews — became the country’s ecclesiastical capital.

Today, St Andrews’ ruined, roofless cathedral yawns at the heavens, and parts of the town’s medieval castle have tumbled into the sea. You might think this would dent St Andrews’ appeal — quite the opposite. These skeletal remains give the town’s coastline a spectral beauty that’s best appreciated in winter, after the golfers that descend each summer have cleared out.

Another draw is that Fife’s spirits industry — once feared dead — has reawakened, with whisky and gin distilleries putting the region back on the map. The best place to try them is at a traditional pub or by a hotel fire, after a windswept walk between desolate beaches.

At West Sands, you’ll find a bigger, sandier beach with tousled dunes, made famous by its role in the opening scenes of the 1981 classic Chariots of Fire.

Photograph by John Bracegirdle, Alamy Stock Photo

What’s there to do?

Rather a lot. Ruined though the castle may be, it still cuts a handsome figure — especially when the low winter sun gilds its walls in gold. Inside, you’ll get insights into the violent events leading to the 16th-century Scottish Reformation . Peer at the dungeon into which Protestant infiltrators threw the murdered body of Catholic cardinal David Beaton in 1546, then explore the damp, moss-furred tunnels dug during the resulting siege. Afterwards, cure your claustrophobia by inhaling the sea air at the pebble-strewn Castle Beach below.

At West Sands, you’ll find a bigger, sandier beach with tousled dunes, made famous by its role in the opening scenes of the 1981 classic Chariots of Fire. Twitchers will find much to delight them among the sands: egrets, eiders, curlews and lots of geese.

If the wind starts to bite, retreat into town to explore the university , founded in 1413; it supplies a self-guided walking tour of its buildings, … Read More