St Andrews & East Neuk Fishing Villages Day Trip from Edinburgh

The East Neuk fishing villages and Anstruther

The East Neuk of Fife is a string of small harbour towns on the north side of the Firth of Forth, once busy with herring boats and trade with the Netherlands and the Baltic. The stone houses with red pantile roofs and crow-stepped gables are a reminder of that link. On this tour we drive through Pittenweem, Crail and St Monans, three of the prettiest, and stop at Anstruther for a break.

Anstruther is the main village of the East Neuk and the site of the Scottish Fisheries Museum, which tells the story of the fishing industry with boats and old harbour scenes. The harbour is a good place for a short walk and for photographs. If you have ever wondered which is the best East Neuk village for a day trip from Edinburgh, we let you sample several in one morning.

St Andrews, the birthplace of golf and Scotland's oldest university

St Andrews is the highlight of the day, and we allow about three hours so you can choose how to spend it. The University of St Andrews, founded in 1413, is the oldest in Scotland, and it is also where Prince William met Catherine Middleton, which draws many visitors to its quads and to the old streets around St Salvator's. A walk down North Street and Market Street gives you cafes, bookshops and a lively seafront.

Golf has been played on the Old Course for centuries, and you can stand on the famous 18th fairway and the Swilcan Bridge without booking anything. West Sands, the long beach filmed in Chariots of Fire, is a short walk away. For anyone asking whether St Andrews is worth visiting for a day, the combination of history, sea and golf makes it easy to say yes.

St Andrews Cathedral and St Andrews Castle

The ruins of St Andrews Cathedral were once the largest church in Scotland, a huge building begun in the 12th century and consecrated in 1318. It fell into ruin after the Reformation, but the towering east gable and St Rule's Tower remain, and the graveyard by the sea is atmospheric. Some sections of the ground can be fenced off for safety, and the museum may be closed, so ask about access.

St Andrews Castle sits on a cliff above the water and was the fortress and palace of the medieval bishops, with a famous bottle dungeon and siege tunnels. Entry to the castle and the cathedral museum is an optional extra you pay on the day. Both are within walking distance of the coach drop-off, so you can fit in a visit even when you also want lunch and a coastal walk.

Falkland, Loch Leven and South Queensferry on the return

On the way back we cross the Lomond Hills and stop in Falkland, a photogenic village where the palace of the Stewart kings stands at the end of the main street. Outlander fans will know it as the stand-in for 1940s Inverness. We then pass Loch Leven, where Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned in 1567 and escaped in 1568, and your guide tells the story.

The final stop is South Queensferry, where three bridges cross the Firth of Forth side by side: the 1890 Forth Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage cantilever railway bridge, the 1964 Forth Road Bridge and the modern Queensferry Crossing. It is one of the best photo spots near Edinburgh, and the quiet high street has a few cafes to finish the day.