When Justin and I were planning our time in Scotland, a day trip to St Andrews was right at the top of our list. His sister was also visiting Scotland, and since this was her first time visiting St Andrews, we were all eager to make a day of it. We had initially looked into booking a guided group day-tour out from Edinburgh, but ultimately decided to take matters into our own hands. By navigating the trains and buses ourselves, we had the freedom to set our own pace, book the exact golf tour Justin wanted, and see everything on our own wishlist.
Our adventure started early as we boarded the 8:30 AM train out of Edinburgh Waverley. The ride north toward Leuchars was a peaceful hour through the coast and rolling green countryside. From Leuchars, a quick fifteen-minute bus brought us straight into the heart of St Andrews by mid-morning. We had until 7:00 PM before our return train, giving us nearly ten hours to explore this medieval seaside gem.
St Andrews greeted us with cobblestones and stone buildings with stepped gables. Early on, the main street was quiet enough that we could stand in the middle of it for photos, but later on the town was busy with locals and tourists.
Step Back into Medieval History
Of everywhere we visited that day, St Andrews Castle was easily my personal favorite. Perched on a jagged cliff edge with the North Sea crashing below, the stone ruins feel intensely dramatic. Built in the late 12th century as a fortified palace for the bishops and archbishops of St Andrews, it served as the center of religious power in medieval Scotland.
We the audio tour, which brought its turbulent history vividly to life. We learned that during the Scottish Reformation in the 1500s, the castle survived brutal sieges. One of the coolest—and creepiest—historical details we learned about was the “Bottle Dungeon,” a pit carved deep into solid rock beneath the Sea Tower where prisoners were lowered by rope. We also heard about the incredible underground siege mines dug in 1546; attackers and defenders literally tunneled through solid rock beneath the castle walls until their tunnels collided! Standing on the wind-swept grounds overlooking the ocean, you could really feel the centuries of history beneath your feet.
Wandering the Streets of Kings and Queens
Leaving the castle, we took a slow, meandering stroll through town. Krista was taking it all in, enjoying the stone architecture and unique atmosphere of Scotland’s oldest university town. As we walked down North Street, we passed by Northpoint Cafe—a charming little eatery with a front window proudly declaring itself as “where Kate met Wills (for coffee)” during their university days.
We wandered down Butts Wynd and past St Salvator’s Quadrangle, taking in the majestic 15th-century collegiate buildings where Prince William and Kate Middleton first crossed paths as students in the early 2000s. After soaking in the college atmosphere, we stopped for a relaxed lunch to recharge.
We don’t follow the royal family, but it hard to not imagine picking a college, then meeting the eye of a prince and some fairytale kind of story.
Gravestones and Hidden Treasures at the Cathedral
After lunch, we made our way over to the grand ruins of St Andrews Cathedral. In the Middle Ages, this was the largest and grandest church in all of Scotland, constructed over a span of 150 years starting in 1158. Today, its vast open-air grounds are dominated by the iconic East Gable, with its twin spires framing where a massive stained-glass window once stood.
It was £6 to access the Cathedral Museum and for a token to climb St Rule’s Tower for panoramic views over the coast. We spent a little time in the musuem, but with our scheduled afternoon golf tour fast approaching, we tucked the tokens into our pockets, planning to return later.
Before heading to the course, we spent time walking through the historic cathedral graveyard. For golf history buffs like Justin, this was a sacred stop. We located the grave of Old Tom Morris—the “Grand Old Man of Golf” who won four Open Championships and designed iconic courses across Britain—alongside the elaborate monument to his son, Young Tom Morris, who tragically died at just 24 after winning four consecutive Opens. Nearby, we also spotted the monument to Allan Robertson, who passed away in 1859 and is widely recognized as the world’s very first professional golfer. And because of him, the Open was created — to see who would suceed him as a champion golfer.
The Home of Golf
At 2:00 PM, we met our guide outside Hotel du Vin for our official St Andrews Links tour. While the castle was my favorite, this was undeniably the highlight of the day for Justin. Standing on the Old Course—the world’s oldest golf course, where the game has been played since the 15th century—was a surreal experience for him.
Our guide shared incredible stories about how the double-greens evolved and how the infamous, deep pot bunkers got their treacherous names.
Even in the public areas, the atmosphere is electric. The tee boxes are lined with white rails and surrounded by golfers waiting for their turn. We stood at the first tee beside the stone wall with its famous lettering and watched players step up, with the Royal and Ancient clubhouse and the grand red-sandstone Hamilton Hall behind them. We learned that the course is shared with the town: walkers cross the fairways, and a sign politely warns you to look before crossing and to cross quickly when it’s safe.
The stop everyone has to make is the Swilcan Bridge, the 700 year old little stone arch over the burn that golfing legends have crossed for generations. We took turns posing on top, with the fairway stretching out behind us and the town’s old buildings lining the edge of the course.
After the tour, we popped into the gift shop. Justin and I almost never buy souvenirs when we travel, but Justin found a coaster of the 18th hole marker. It was small, light, easy to pack, and carried a lot of meaning for him. To this day, we still use it at home!
Before leaving the links, we decided to play a round on “The Himalayas,” the famous Ladies’ Putting Club green located right next to the course. For only £4 per adult, it was totally worth it to putt on the grounds of the sport’s birthplace. Rather than a flat, predictable mini-golf course, the Himalayas is a natural grass putting course filled with dramatic rolling mounds and steep contours. It was chilly and incredibly windy out on the coast, but we were all laughing as our golf balls took wild turns across the humps. Justin’s sister was hilariously surprised when her putts kept sinking—ultimately beating both Justin and me!
A Lesson in Wandering Around during a Day Trip to St Andrews
By late afternoon, we realized our spontaneous, crisscrossing stroll through town had taken its toll on our feet. We hadn’t been very systematic in our route, walking back and forth between the coast, town center, and golf links multiple times.
We made one final push back toward St Andrews Cathedral hoping to use our tokens to climb St Rule’s Tower, but we arrived right as the gates were closing for the evening. We didn’t mind too much, though; it gave us a great excuse to slow down, have dinner, then head back to the station, and talk through our favorite moments on the train ride back to Edinburgh.
The day trip to St Andrews was full of history, beautiful sights, gentle family rivalry, and memories we still talk about every time we set a drink down on our 18th-hole coaster.
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