A Day Trip To St Andrews In Scotland

People who live in St Andrews will probably hate me for saying this, but one of the main things this city is known for is the fact that Prince William and Kate Middleton went to the university here. Now, having said that, I’d like to point out that I am referring to silly tourists like me. 

Store with an actual sign that says "Where Kate Met Wills"

I don’t know what it is, but I guess the further you are from Great Britain, the more fascinating the Royal Family gets. I have to admit that when my friend, Paul, suggested that we take a day trip to St Andrews, Prince William was the first thing that popped into my head.

Obviously now I feel like a complete idiot because St Andrews is more than just a University town. It’s beautiful… just like everything else here in Scotland, and there’s so much history to absorb and architecture to admire. It actually is also worldly renowned as the home of golf… but I hate golf, and I didn’t really bother seeing any golf courses over there.

Paul and I took the train from Edinburgh to Leuchars, and met up with one of Paul’s friends, Bruce, who took us to see his family’s farm, a few miles away from the city.

Seeing the farm reminded me of the scenery in New Zealand. Look! Sheep!

And look at that view! I could insert this photo in my New Zealand photo album and no one would know the difference. 

We came across a few wild horses (or I think they were actually Shetland Ponies) while we were exploring the land. They were REALLY friendly and beautiful. The hair needed some serious conditioning though…

Bruce was nice enough to drop us off in town, and our St Andrews exploration began.

The city isn’t very big, and you can practically walk everywhere (which I loved). These are the things you see as you walk down the streets…

This is St Andrews Cathedral

St Andrews Cathedral

And these are the ruins (or what’s left of) St Andrew’s Castle. Have I mentioned I am obsessed with castles?
Well… I do. Love em. Can’t get enough of them. Even ruins like this one… They’re just so prettyyyy :)

St Andrews Castle

We managed to hang out in the grounds of one of the colleges of the University. Just plopped down on the grass under a tree to eat ice cream and write some post cards. 

It was such a great day, and we managed to see a lot in about 6 – 7 hours in a relaxed pace. If you guys intend to visit, I think one full day like we did should be enough… unless you guys want to take your time or go into the museums or gain more information through walking or guided tours, then adding another day is a good idea.

The train to and from St Andrews is only 1hr 20 mins each way, and when you get to Leuchars Station (6 miles from St Andrews) you can take a taxi (we spent about 10 pounds) or the bus. 

Definitely worth a visit :)