24 Hours in St Andrews

24 hours was the perfect amount of time to explore, here is what we got up to. 

Only an hour and a half from Edinburgh, we decided to explore St Andrews. Not knowing what to expect and the only thing I knew about the town was that it is a university town where William and Kate met. With its historic architecture and medieval streets, it was so nice to wander around and capture it all in. We explored the remains of St Andrews Cathedral which happened to be the largest in Scotland. 

The weather wasn’t on our side however we decided to go for a picnic on the beach anyway, within five minutes it started raining… I mean what can you expect when you have a staycation in the UK. The umbrellas came out as well as fits of giggles, not only did the umbrellas stop us from getting wet they also stopped the seagulls from dive-bombing to try and get a bite of my falafel wrap. Regardless of the weather at West Sands beach the two miles of scenic sand captured the essence of a good British beach and is where the opening scenes of Chariots of Fire were filmed (which I have never watched to Alex’s dismay) which backs on to the sand dunes and the manicured golf course.    

We went for dinner at Lupo’s and I would highly recommend it is the sister restaurant to The Rav which also looks delish. This Italian not only had delicious food and wine it had delicious interiors and you all know how much I love a good interior. Fresh local Scottish produce helps feed the soul of Italian recipes. If you are ever in St Andrews this will 100% be the go-to restaurant spot. After diner we decided to go get some gelato from Jannettas Gelato who have been making this sweet treat for more than 110 years, I have the stracciatella, and wow was it tasty that I didn’t get a photo. 

St Andrews is the home of golf and is well known for its historic university which we walk around the famous quadrant. This beautiful university was in full bloom and was so peaceful to wander around with a cluster of students getting their graduation photos. 

Whilst we were walking around we were met by tags attached to the iron gates which included words of “you are not alone” and “we support you and stand with you” as well as many more handwritten notes. After not know what this was I research it whilst back at the hotel and it was in regards to student sexual assault, this is not a topic that is easy to write about and after two years of graduating, I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been and still like to be going through. If you would like to find out more there is an Instagram account called St Andrews Survivors. I highly recommend you to check this account out because it will help shine a light on what is happening throughout the most university in the world.

If you or someone you know has been affected by this story contact Refuge on their free 24/7 helpline 0808 2000 247 or contact Rape Crisis online for a free confidential chat helpline. 

St Andrews is well worth a visit with its rich history and culture it was nice to explore somewhere where I had no expectations and discover the town for what it was.