What To Do in St Andrews Scotland

July 30, 2013October 9, 2014 Harrison Gould

St Andrews

St Andrews is a former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, named after Saint Andrew the Apostle. The city is home to the University of St Andrews, the third oldest university in the English-speaking world, the oldest in Scotland and one of Britain’s most prestigious. The University is an integral part of the burgh, and during term time students make up approximately one third of the town’s population. St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife.

There has been an important church in St Andrews since at least the 8th century, and a bishopric since at least the 11th century. The settlement grew to the west of St Andrews cathedral with the southern side of the Scores to the north and the Kinness burn to the south. The burgh soon became the ecclesiastical capital of Scotland, a position which was held until the Scottish Reformation. The famous cathedral, the largest in Scotland, now lies in ruins.

As you probably know, St Andrews is also known worldwide as the “home of golf“. This is in part because the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754, exercises legislative authority over the game worldwide (except in the United States and Mexico), and also because the famous links (acquired by the town in 1894) is the most frequent venue for The Open Championship, the oldest of golf’s four major championships. Visitors travel to St Andrews in great numbers for several courses ranked amongst the finest in the world, as well as for the sandy beaches and sightseeing.

The historic town is easily and best explored on foot where the shops, many interesting buildings, museums, bars and restaurants are all easily accessible. Here’s a list of a few must-see’s the next time you visit St Andrews and have a break from the links.

Please enjoy the Google Earth Video at the bottom of the page navigated by Scottish-Native and PerryGolf’s President – Gordon Dalgleish – to get a better sense of the St Andrews area from golf and hotels to restaurants and places of interest!

Local Places of Interest and Activities

St.Andrews Cathedral — Enjoy the dramatic setting of the ruins. The Cathedral was destroyed by a mob roused by the preaching of John Knox in the town during the Reformation – and the sense of history which attaches to what was once one of the most important religious sites in Europe. Owing to the presence of the relics of St Andrew, it was a place of pilgrimage for many thousands during the medieval period. The view from the top of St Rule’s Tower is breathtaking, and the visitor centre contains a number of artifacts and helps to set the history of the site into context. Golfers can pay a visit to the grave of Old Tom Morris and his son young Tom, who are buried in the Cathedral Grounds.

Local Coastal Villages — Visit the quaint coastal fishing villages and Royal Burgh’s of Crail, Anstruther and Pittenweem with their distinctive buildings and picturesque harbours. The area was notorious for smuggling with wine, tobacco, cloth and sugar being smuggled in, and linen and coal smuggled out. The East Neuk was the capital of the Scottish Herring industry, until the shoals deserted the Forth during the Second World War. Today the boats which sail out from Crail and Anstruther mainly bring in shellfish, while Pittenweem remains the centre of the areas fishing industry where early in the morning the catches are sold at the new Fish Market. Fife Coastal Path — You may enjoy walking a stretch of the Fife Coastal Path from Crail to St.Monans. Visit the many picturesque towns with their narrow cobbled lanes leading to picturesque harbors.

Kellie Castle & Garden — Located near Anstruther a 20mins drive from St.Andrews, it contains magnificent plaster ceilings, painted panelling and furniture. The Gardens contain a fine layout of the organic walled garden is 17th-century with late Victorian additions and contains a fine collection of old-fashioned roses, fruit trees and herbaceous plants. Display in summer-house on history of walled garden.

Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther — This award-winning National Museum tells the story of the Scottish fishing industry from the earliest times to the present. With many model and actual boats, fishing gear, photographs, paintings and tableaux on display, as well as a new ‘Zulu’ gallery just open, a visit to the Museum makes for worthwhile visit.

St.Andrews Shopping — St Andrews is a town to explore and is refreshingly free of national outlets and chain stores. Instead, the town centre offers an excellent range of independent, family-run shops and businesses, where you are guaranteed to find a unique range of goods matched by personal service. Shopping in St Andrews is always a rewarding experience. The main shopping areas concentrated in Market Street and South Street, with Bell Street and Church Street connecting the two principal streets. There are Golf Stores throughout the town with the main stores of Auchterlonies, Old Tom Morris and Golf Scotland all located close to the 18th Green of the Old Course.

Falkland Palace — Falkland has been a royal palace since the days of the Stewarts. King James IV completed the main structure and King James V also added to the buildings there, transforming it into a sophisticated Renaissance palace. He was also responsible for adding the royal tennis court in 1539, which has survived to this day. James V died at Falkland Palace on December 14, 1542. His daughter, Mary Queen of Scots was a frequent visitor, enjoying the peace and tranquility of Falkland, away from the intrigues and politics of Edinburgh.

St.Andrews Castle — The Castle was the former Bishops’ Palace, the residence of the Archbishops of St Andrews. The first castle on this site probably dates from around 1200. Over the centuries, the Castle has witnessed many conflicts and deeds of infamy, among them the martyrdom of George Wishart and the murder of Cardinal Beaton. It was also besieged many times. Eventually destroyed during the Reformation, the Castle is now in ruins. A modern visitor centre houses exhibits about the Castle, and visitors can also explore the mines and the infamous bottle dungeon.

*Don’t have Google Earth? Watch this video tour of St Andrews on PerryGolf’s Youtube by clicking here.

Want to know the best place to find a cold pint in St Andrews? Click here. Looking for one of many locals’ favorite places to eat? Find out here.

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WATCH! video below of a PerryGolf client holing out for eagle on hole 18 at the Old Course, St Andrews!

About the Author: Harrison Gould is the Social Media Marketing Manager of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram , and Pinterest.

PerryGolf’s Gordon Dalgleish chats with Golf.com

July 23, 2013April 24, 2018 Harrison Gould

PerryGolf’s President and Scottish Golf Expert, Gordon Dalgleish, joins Golf.com for a LIVE CHAT today at 3PM ET. Gordon will be available to answer all of the questions you have regarding a dream golf trip to Scotland. So, if you’d like to make that dream trip a reality, to the home of golf in St Andrews or the rest of Scotland, bring your questions with you and watch this free live chat here!

Visit our newly renovated website – here – to begin customizing your dream golf trip.

To replay Gordon’s LIVE CHAT with Golf.com, please click here.

About the Author: Harrison Gould is the Social Media Marketing Manager of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

Golf around the Open…a different Major experience

July 17, 2013August 22, 2023 Gordon Dalgleish

Each of the four “Majors” in golf provide the spectator with a unique experience. There is a good argument that says the Open Championship, held annually on one of nine links courses around the British coastline, is the most unique of all. This year the Open returns to Muirfield, home of the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, for the first time since Ernie Els won in 2002.

Spectators can expect to witness an event which encapsulates the country. It will be one of the lead news stories as golf is woven through so much of the fabric of Scottish life. Non golfers and golfers alike will pay attention to the happenings at Muirfield. A visitor to Scotland will be hard pressed to find any local who cannot engage in a fairly detailed discussion about the event and their favorite golfers. It is the only “Major” which sells admission tickets on the day, all very democratic and open to all. You will find a festive but respectful and knowledgeable crowd.

One of the many unique aspects of Muirfield is the proximity of Greywalls Hotel to the 10th tee. It is literally across a low stone wall. Greywalls Hotel is one of the many charming and comfortable country house hotels you find around the British Isles. I clearly recall that during earlier times when the Open returned to Muirfield, the guest book at Muirfield was a “who’s who” of the golfing greats of that time; Nicklaus, Trevino, Player, etc. Gaining access to one of the 23 rooms in the hotel was reserved for the elite of the sport. It’s fair to say that in 2013 the elite will have rented large homes for the week as they travel with their sizable entourages of trainers, nannies, stretchers, chefs & mental coaches. Times have indeed changed in that respect. Read more about Greywalls Hotel.

East Lothian, which is the area of Scotland around Edinburgh and onward to the east, is home to a host of great golf. This Google Earth Video Tour gives some sense of the plethora of fine links courses in close proximity to Muirfield, alongside some of the area hotels and other exclusive-use lodgings that PerryGolf clients enjoy. The tour also details some of our suggestions for dining of which in this region of Scotland are terrific.

If nothing else, be sure to add attendance at the Open Championship one year onto your bucket list!

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

Best Place to Stay for the 2013 Open Championship

July 16, 2013August 22, 2023 Harrison Gould

Undoubtedly the best hotel in which to reside for spectating the 2013 Open Championship, Greywalls Hotel sits on the edge of Muirfield golf course where it is separated only by a knee-high wall. An extraordinary view from the hotel overlooks world famous greens of the 9th & 18th holes and the 10th tee of this championship links.

The stylish Edwardian hotel designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and built in 1901 offers 23 luxurious rooms. Greywalls was originally built as vacation home for its original owner, the Honorable Alfred Lyttelton whose one request was that it be “within a mashie niblick shot of the eighteenth green at Muirfield.” You’ll gain a greater appreciation of the history that lies before you at Greywalls when you see the hotel guestbook’s big names like Palmer and Nicklaus. Staying at Greywalls around the Open is much more accessible than in the past as many of the contenders simply rent houses for the week to accommodate their entourage of supporters instead of staying at the hotel.

Dining with spectacular views of the 10th tee complement gastronomic cuisine. Greywalls’ Chez Roux Restaurant won the Scottish Restaurant Awards 2012, “Scottish Hotel Restaurant of the Year.” The hotel offers several different dining venues to accommodate every occasion imaginable.

Gertrude Jekyll’s design of the beautiful walled gardens found outside amidst the hotel’s 6 acres of land create a peaceful and tranquil ambiance at Greywalls. The spa services, two tennis courts, croquet lawn, and putting green certainly add to its splendor as well. The hotel is an ideal location for more than just watching the 2013 Open Championship – it’s also within 5 miles of 10 other golf courses such as Gullane, Archerfield, North Berwick, and Dunbar; abound with beautiful beaches and historic castles; and only a half hour drive from Scotland’s capital Edinburgh.

Enjoy the Google Earth Video Tour below – navigated by PerryGolf’s President, Gordon Dalgleish – to gain a better sense of Greywalls’ surrounding area of East Lothian and Edinburgh. Please wait just a moment for the video to load – it will start automatically.

The Highlands of Scotland for Golf – Far more than a One Trick Pony

July 8, 2013October 9, 2014 Gordon Dalgleish

The 2013 Scottish Open at Castle Stuart shall enjoy one enviable footnote; it is the first regular European Tour event to be broadcasted on network television in the USA (on NBC). Doubtless this shall introduce many more golf fans to the wonderfully designed Castle Stuart which was opened in 2009. Castle Stuart is the creation of Mark Parsinen (who created Kingsbarns) and Gil Hanse (of Olympic Golf Course notoriety).

It has added yet another dimension to a region of Scotland that was historically famous for Royal Dornoch, the course where Donald Ross served his apprenticeship as a greens keeper. Ross subsequently emigrated to the USA and built an untold number of courses using the same style he had seen at Dornoch with pushed up greens. Beyond these two fine links courses you will enjoy Nairn (venue for the 1999 Walker Cup Matches) and a myriad of classic, small town links golf that includes Tain, Brora, Nairn Dunbar & Lossiemouth. This is a region of Scotland that is rich and understated, yet thoroughly enjoyable links golf in it’s purest form.

This Google Earth Video Tour below gives some sense of the logistics of the area, with a range of accommodations options including the recently completed Quarryfield House which serves as an ideal base for groups in which to remain in one location and enjoy an exclusive-use facility.

In the last year or two, Trump International, about a 2 hour 15 min drive to the east, has enjoyed much deserved attention. It is a fine, modern style links course and with another course having been announced, it will add yet another arrow in a full quiver of exceptional golf experiences. Aberdeen serves as the host city to the oil & gas industry which works in the deep and challenging waters of the North Sea. It has also been home for many years to three great links courses: Royal Aberdeen (venue for the 2014 Scottish Open), Cruden Bay & Marcar. Each of these courses is a treat to play and another reason to extend your stay in the Highlands of Scotland.

Quality accommodations and restaurants abound in both Inverness & Aberdeen, which despite their northerly location in the British Isles, have become quite chic and sophisticated for visitors to enjoy.

While all of the “name” golf courses in Scotland that are associated with hosting the Open Championship are in the Lowlands, there are plenty of reasons to find the time to enjoy the Highlands. One visit and glimpse of the scenery and you will clearly understand why each region has it’s respective moniker.