JOIN USI arrived in St Andrews on a mild September evening, dragging my luggage over the cobblestone that paved the road to the bus station.
Being a small coastal town in the region of Fife in Scotland, access (or rather, affordable access) is restricted to the bus route into the town. The seclusion, together with the efforts by the council to maintain the historical integrity of the town, gives St Andrews a distinctly unique character.
Known as the ‘home of golf’, St Andrews is most famous for the several world renowned golf courses that line its coast. The most famous of these, the Old Course, dates back to 1574, and to the birth and development of the modern game in Scotland. Bordered on one flank by the stately Old Course Hotel, and cut along its contours by a narrow stream, the course paints a scene of complete tranquility.
Standing atop the slope leading to the beach, I was taken aback by the contrast that the serenity of the course posed to the chaos and unpredictability of the North Sea just minutes to side. It was through this, together with the erratic sea breeze (that makes golfing on the Old Course very difficult, rendering it one of the toughest courses to navigate), that made me realise why the town plays host to many celebrity and professional golf tournaments throughout the year.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which takes place in October and which finishes the tour at the Old Course, is a notable celebrity tournament. With big names such as Hugh Grant and Samuel L Jackson being featured over the years, the tournament brings a sense of apprehension and excitement to the small town. Indeed, it is not uncommon to see students from the town’s university flitting from pub to pub to get a glimpse of the visiting stars.
More than being a hub for golf lovers, St Andrews offers invaluable glimpses of history on its streets. As you walk along the path bordering the ocean, the ruins of a castle resisting the upcoming tide paint a picture of glory and majesty lost in time. Constituting what is considered the origins of the modern day settlement, the ruins of St Andrews Castle date back almost 900 years. Although the castle is not in use, many of the other buildings in St Andrews form integral parts of its history.
St Salvator’s Chapel, dating back to 1450, is still in use by the town’s university today. You can walk, unrestricted, onto its manicured lawn, enclosed on one side by a steeple and on the other by the college buildings, taking in the preserved beauty of the town.
How to get there: You can take a bus from the Edinburgh bus station straight to St Andrews. Alternatively, you can take a train to the Leuchers train station, which is 10 minutes by road from St Andrews. There are regular buses from Leuchers to St Andrews.