We all know that St Andrews can feel claustrophobic and small at times, and after a couple of weeks of frequenting the same pubs, walking the same paths, and seeing the same faces, one craves a change of scene. Hopefully, this guide will help you when you feel the need to escape the confines of the bubble!
Luckily for us, St Andrews also happens to be slap bang in the middle of beautiful countryside and coastline. So, let’s not forget that, although, it’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of student life, the great Scottish outdoors waits for us, and is ready to be explored!
From St Andrews many adventures are accessible by a short bus ride, starting with the Elie Chain Walk. Take the X60 for about an hour to the quiet coastal town of Elie. Once you have arrived in the town, it’s about a 30-minute walk along gorgeous clifftops overlooking the sea until you find an ominous sign announcing the start of the chain walk and warning you of its peril. But don’t fret! If I survived it, so can you. There are also some lovely pubs and cafes that you can visit after your walk along the coast.
A challenging hour of scrambling over rocks, using heavy metal chains that have been nailed into the trail to guide you, its sure to be a memorable experience.
If you’re into cold swims, and plunges that get your endorphins flowing, you must explore the tidal pools all around Fife. My personal favourite is the Pittenweem tidal pool, 40 minutes from St Andrews on the X60. It’s been recently restored and is deep enough at one end to practice your diving skills, or you can opt to tentatively dip your toes in the shallow end. Cellardyke tidal pool is also really great, and there’s often a mobile sauna next to it to warm up in after a dip.
Closer to home, Dunino Den is a fascinating find. Once a druid site of worship, where it is rumoured, human sacrifices were made, and people worshipped fairy spirits, the eerie Den lies behind a church graveyard, hidden in a forest. If you look closely, you will find faces carved into the rocks, and offerings of flowers, bows, cards and candles littered everywhere. Again, 15 minutes on the X60 will get you there, making it easily accessible.
Nearby, Boarhills is a hidden gem. The 95 Bus will drop you off in 25 minutes, and you can walk through the small village to find a gorgeous forest walk alongside a river. This path leads out to the coast, passing ruins of old farmhouses, and explores the contrasting landscape of forest and sandy coastline.
For an easy Sunday hangover cure, and something a bit closer to home, walk the St Andrews Old Course. Open to the public on Sundays, dog walkers and golfers intermingle, and anyone can walk the famous route. Even if you’re not into golf, it’s a really pretty course, with great views out to the coast and surrounding hills. You are sure to feel freshened and recovered after a night at the dreaded 601.
A slightly different day trip that I really loved, is a journey to some of the nearby castles in Fife. I went to Kellie Castle, and although it’s a bit more difficult to access by bus, requiring both the X60 and the WD1, it’s worth the trip. Surrounded by beautiful walled gardens that are topped off with an honesty shop that stocks the apples, pears and vegetables grown in the garden, the Castle is charming. The tours for the castle itself are free with a Young Scot Card too.
It’s also easy to forget that within St Andrews, the Coastal path is an accessible and easy walk that is right on our doorstep. Surrounded by impressive sea stacks like Maiden Rock, there are also caves and rock pools to explore all along the coastline. You can make it as short or as long as you like, with the path continuing through Anstruther, Crail, Pittenweem, and coastal towns further afield. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a few highland cows grazing along the pebbly beaches.
Another respite from the bubble that has recently emerged is the new St Andrews seaside sauna, located at West Sands. Luxuriously within walking distance, why not start the weekend with a cold plunge and sauna experience right on your doorstep!
There you have it, that’s my complete guide to places to visit if you want to explore the nearby towns outside the bubble!
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