St Andrews

I am a BIG fan of St Andrews. Everything about it just makes me happy inside. I know it sounds totally stupid, but, for me, St Andrews is everything a seaside town should be. I have many fond memories of summers in St Andrews as ever since I can remember it has been the holiday destination of choice in my family. With my family owning a holiday home there, it allows me to visit a lot more often than I would if I was still living at home, due to the proximity of Dundee.

Whenever I am feeling down, or just fancy a day away from the calls of work, I take the number 99 bus, across the Tay, through Leuchars, past the Old Course Hotel, and into St Andrews.

The beach is my favourite place to go as it is always quiet and due to its size, deserted. When on the beach the last time I visited, it was very weird for there to be large quantities of frozen sand. (I can only remember snow on the beach once in St Andrews.) As I walk along the East Sands, I pass by the frozen seaweed, as I go through the harbour on my walk into the town. A typical fishing harbour, St Andrews is small and quaint in its boats. I walk over the wobbly bridge to cross the water, and I see the swans. It was too late in the year to see signets (or ‘swanlets’ as my Dad insists on calling them) but I don’t remember a spring where there has not been any signets; St Andrews must be the ‘place to be’ for swans.

To get from the harbour into the town, the massive hill must be tackled (always on foot from now on after a nasty incident involving a bike, a bollard and a very broken wrist) and once at the top of the hill, the views are spectacular. I chose to walk through the cemetery, as even though the are often portrayed as scary and sad places, this one seems to be more of a historical attraction than anything else. The shadow that the old cathedral walls cast create a highly atmospheric cemetery, but beautiful all the same. As I reach my destination of Janetta’s (the amazing 52 flavour ice cream shop) there are so many things that I know I just wouldn’t see anywhere other that St Andrews.

Although I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life in St Andrews, due to its distinct lack of night life, or large quantities of life at all, I always enjoy my time in St Andrews. Whether it be relaxing in front of the fire away from the cold winds, watching the dolphins play with each other in the summer, or tackling a foreigner for the last bottle of lemonade in Tesco at the time of the Open, St Andrews always presents a quirk that catches my eye and remains in my head forever.