This short article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK)
In middle ages times, the bones of St Andrew, tutelary saint of Scotland’s Pictish individuals, were given a little, wind-worn town atop a sandstone plateau in Fife, on the nation’s east coast. These antiques gave such celeb that a bishop resided, an excellent cathedral was commissioned and the town– now called St Andrews– ended up being the nation’s ecclesiastical capital.
Today, St Andrews’ messed up, roofless cathedral yawns at the paradises, and parts of the town’s middle ages castle have actually toppled into the sea. You may believe this would damage St Andrews’ appeal– rather the opposite. These skeletal remains provide the town’s shoreline a spectral appeal that’s finest valued in winter season, after the golf players that come down each summertime have actually cleaned out.
Another draw is that Fife’s spirits market– when feared dead– has actually rekindled, with whisky and gin distilleries putting the area back on the map. The very best location to attempt them is at a standard club or by a hotel fire, after a windswept walk in between desolate beaches.
At West Sands, you’ll discover a larger, sandier beach with tousled dunes, made well-known by its function in the opening scenes of the 1981 traditional Chariots of Fire.
Photo by John Bracegirdle, Alamy Stock Photo
What’s there to do?
Rather a lot. Messed up though the castle might be, it still cuts a good-looking figure– specifically when the low winter season sun gilds its walls in gold. Inside, you’ll get insights into the violent occasions causing the 16th-century Scottish Reformation. Peer at the dungeon into which Protestant moles tossed the killed body of Catholic cardinal David Beaton in 1546, then check out the moist, moss-furred tunnels dug throughout the resulting siege. Later on, treat your claustrophobia by breathing in the sea air at the pebble-strewn Castle Beach listed below.
At West Sands, you’ll discover a larger, sandier beach with tousled dunes, made popular by its function in the opening scenes of the 1981 timeless Chariots of Fire. Twitchers will discover much to thrill them amongst the sands: egrets, eiders, curlews and great deals of geese.
If the wind begins to bite, pull back into town to check out the university, established in 1413; it provides a self-guided walking trip of its structures, consisting of St Salvator’s Chapel– a late gothic gem with modern-day stained-glass windows by Scottish master William Wilson.
Where are the very best locations to remain?
This year, Rufflets, a carbon-neutral hotel set on a nation estate west of town, introduced 4 self-contained shepherd’s huts billed as Woodland Suites. They’re little however delicious: each has a wood-burning range and a free-standing copper tub for getting rid of the chill. The roofing system is fitted with a skylight, assisting in stargazing from your bed.
For something more main, sign in to Haar Restaurant & & Rooms, a six-bed townhouse with coastal-themed spaces that show the seafood on its day-to-day tasting menus.