THE 18th fairway was like a who’s who of golf. One by one, the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Viktor Hovland made their way across the iconic Swilcan Bridge to the red flag at the centre of the sun-soaked green.
My wife Rachel was amused at her starstuck husband as I proudly named-checked each of the players stood just a few feet away on the Old Course’s famous links.
Last weekend, the eyes of the sporting world were on St Andrews, with the ‘Home of Golf’ hosting the 150th Open Championship. And although the two of us were happy to get swept up in the pre-tournament excitement, we were looking for more than golf in the town and the Kingdom of Fife.
We started our long weekend across the Firth of Forth in Edinburgh, checking into Malmaison Edinburgh City, (fittingly) on St Andrew Square. Arriving by train late on Friday evening, we decided to make the most of our stay at the boutique hotel. After freshening up in our room, decked out in deep reds and dark purples, we headed down to the restaurant, Chez Mal. I had a succulent rump steak with fries drizzled in curry sauce, while Rachel opted for the pan-fried salmon fillet.
Next morning, fuelled with a cooked breakfast, we checked out and picked up a vehicle from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, driving across the Queensferry Crossing and into Fife. Once the capital of Scotland, and the resting place of some of Scotland’s greatest medieval monarchs, Dunfermline was recently awarded city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. We walked around the impressive Dunfermline Palace & Abbey - which includes the tomb of Robert the Bruce and the ruins of a palace built by King James VI in the 16th century. Then we headed up the A92 to Kirkcaldy Galleries, which is currently home to very special exhibition. Jack Vettriano: The Early Years is a celebration of the Fife artist’s extraordinary career and brings together works he painted in his 20s until he moved to London in 2000. It is his first retrospective since 2013, and includes 12 of his early works, as well as all the showstoppers, including Billy Boys and Bluebird at Bonneville.
Our base for the next two days was the town of St Andrews, and after an hour on the road, we were ready to sample afternoon tea at The Bridge in one of the buildings closely associated with the Old Course, Rusacks St Andrews.
Rachel and I enjoyed artisan finger sandwiches, Highland venison sausage rolls, and warm cranberry and orange scones, with clotted cream and jams. On the table next to us was current US PGA Champion Justin Thomas, relaxing ahead of his latest challenge for the Claret Jug, while Ryder Cup talisman Ian Poulter and two-time St Andrews Open winner, Tiger Woods, were walking the famous links.
Our fully serviced luxury apartment for the next two days, No 1 St Andrews St Mary’s Place, was perfectly situated to explore all that’s on offer in Fife. The sign outside claims it is a ‘Home from Home’ for travellers, and with its fully kitted-out kitchen, beautifully decorated living area with corner sofa, bathroom with rain shower, and bedroom with ample storage, it’s hard to disagree. Food and drink-wise, the kitchen was stocked with tea and coffee, while there was a hamper with croissants jam, butter, olives and cold meats in the fridge.
If you don’t fancy cooking, nearby Mitchell’s Deli offers breakfast to apartment guests for £15 per person.
As well as being the undisputed ‘Home of Golf’, St Andrews also claims to be the ‘Home of Gelato’, and Jannettas Gelateria have been selling the frozen desserts in the town for over a century. Across in Kinburn Park, St Andrews Museum is also worth a visit if you fancy exploring the town’s fascinating past.
By night, the seaside town was buzzing with visitors arriving ahead of the Open - 500,000 were anticipated over the weekend - and for dinner, we were fortunate to get a table at one of its most popular eateries, Ziggy’s. Since opening in 1983, they have been serving up delicious American-style cuisine, using local produce, against a backdrop of rock memorabilia. After potato skins loaded with cheese and haggis, Rachel had sizzling chicken fajitas, while I had devoured the buffalo ribs and wings. Both were delicious and came in ‘US-sized’ portions.
Next day we jumped in the car to explore the quaint coastal towns across the East Neuk of Fife. Our first destination was Anstruther, largest of the pretty fishing villages along the Fife Coastal Path, and home to the world-famous Anstruther Fish Bar. We moved onto the charming former royal burgh of Crail, stopping off for tea and scones at Crail Gallery, with stunning views of the sea towards North Berwick. Back towards St Andrews is the village of Kingsbarns and, after battling through fields of thunder bugs, we felt the sand between our toes and relaxed between the grassy dunes.
After a sandwich and ice-cold lemonade from The Cheesy Toast Shack, we drove to Kingsbarns Distillery. Our guided tour included learning about the ‘Dream to Dram’ creation of whisky and being led to the tasting room to collect samples of award-winning single malts. Our guide explained how the geography of the area influenced the production of whisky, pointing out that Fife is shaped like the head of a Scottie dog. Much like the popular canine, we found the Fife to be bold, independent, loveable and friendly. Sure, golf has been the headline attraction. But there is so much more to see and do in this little Kingdom of heaven.
* For more about Scotland go to visitscotland.com. For Fife breaks welcometofife.com
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