A weekend in...St Andrews

With its long, blustery beaches and cobbled streets – not to mention tales of ghostly encounters – there is something here to get everyone’s pulse racing. By Rachael Oakden

 

Three things you might not know about St Andrew's: Prince William went to university here; Nigel Havers ran along the beach (in Chariots of Fire); and Tiger Woods would rather play golf here than anywhere else. But this gloriously situated university town has another, more sinister claim to fame - it's one of the most haunted towns in Scotland, a fact not unrelated to its rich religious history. With its clifftop castle and cobbled lanes, St Andrews cries out to be explored by moonlight.

 

Friday pm

Chills, chuckles and hot pokers

9pm: As Shirley Young, our guide on the Original St Andrews Witches Tour, tells the tale of a man whose devout fiancée disfigured herself with a hot poker before entering a convent and dying, insane, her assistant lets out such a piercing scream that my heart shoots into my throat. There are chills and chuckles-a-plenty, but there is a sobering context. Thousands of women were burned in Scotland for being too old, eccentric or single. In a town with landmarks celebrating achievements of kings and bishops, the contrast is a chilling one (01334 655057, www.st-andrewswitchestour.co.uk).

 

Saturday am

10am: golf for beginners

You can't get away from golf in St Andrews. The game was invented here and seven municipal golf courses include Tiger Woods' favourite, the 600-year-old Old Course. I wonder if the golf pilgrims might be onto something - after all, the sea views are fantastic. But I have never hit a golf ball, so I enrol in a beginner's session at the St Andrews Link Golf Academy. Just an hour later, I've built up such a convincing swing that I can make the air whistle with a six iron (£65 per hour, juniors £45; 01334 466606, www.standrewslinksgolfacademy.com).

 

12.30pm: turbot with sea views

I feel a twinge of disappointment as we sit down in The Seafood Restaurant. I'd hoped to teeter over the Atlantic on the farthest edge of this glass cube built into a cliff, but Gareth and I find ourselves overlooking a car park (albeit by a beach) in the glare of the sun. But as the charming manager who lowers the blinds explains, diners often ask to be moved from tables because the motion of the water makes them too seasick to eat. So I'm glad of my table as I eat turbot fillet in such a generous puddle of seafood sauce that I need extra slices of bread to mop it up. Lunch is the way to go here: at £26 for three courses, it is better value than the evening menu, and we savour the view of the sea and the sky long into the afternoon (01334 479475, www.theseafoodrestaurant.com).

 

Saturday pm

3pm: Down in the dungeon

With a three-course lunch inside my belly, I should have thought twice before exploring the underground tunnels that were dug beneath St Andrews Castle during a siege in 1546-7: I have to bend my body in half to fit within the dark, dripping walls. Back above ground, the memory of Friday evening's ghost tour makes me shiver as I peer into the bottle dungeon, where ‘witches' once languished beneath the feet of archbishops who lived it up like kings. Afterwards, I'm glad we have allowed an hour to potter around the independent shops and galleries: highlights are Bouquiniste for vintage postcards, I J Mellis for artisan cheeses, and the Fraser Gallery for contemporary art.

 

7pm: A cinematic beach

Sunset coincides with low tide to lure us on to the flats of West Sands. I can't help but think of the running scene from 'Chariots of Fire' - not even the most piercing wind can drown out the mental accompaniment of Vangelis soundtrack. Music of a funkier sort is on offer at The Glass House, an Italian bistro overlooked by St Salvator's tower (01334 473673, www.houserestaurants.com).

 

Sunday pm

12pm: A stroll along the shore

The picture-perfect fishing villages spread along the coastline south of St Andrews are linked by the 90-mile Fife Coastal Path (and a daily bus service that makes it easy to do one-way walks without a car). One of the most accessible sections is between Crail and Anstruther, home to the famous Anstruther Fish Bar - the perfect place to find ourselves after an unchallenging 90-minute stroll along the water's edge. We could have queued for an inside table, but the harbour wall is the best seat in the house: the rain dripping off our hoods only adds to the steamy deliciousness of fresh fish and chips washed down with a cup of tea (01333 310518, www.anstrutherfishbar.co.uk).

 

Stay at....

The Fairmont Golf Resort might not be chi-chi but thanks, to a state-of-the-art spa - the focus of a recent £10 million refurbishment - and contemporary décor, any first-class traveller would be glad to stay here. Our room has views across the hills and bunkers of the hotel's two golf courses to the Atlantic. There's a shuttle bus into town and you can even take your dog. Double B&B from £169 (01334 837000, www.fairmont.com).

 

Also try...

The West Port Central bar and restaurant with four ensuite B&B rooms at £65 (01334 473186, www.hewestport.co.uk)

5 Pilmour Place, a modern guest house near the Old Course. Double B&B from £85 (01334 478665, www.5pilmourplace.com).

 

Getting there...

St Andrews is 50 miles and 90 minutes drive from Edinburgh. The nearest train station is Leuchars, a ten minute taxi ride from St Andrews town centre.

 

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