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Before the trip
Before the trip
Ensure you have the group register and emergency contact numbers for all leaders and students
Make sure you have the tickets you need to enter with your group
Wear the official group T-shirt or hoodie for easy identification
Charge your phone fully and bring a power bank
Review the risk assessment for the day’s route and activities
Remind students to bring a raincoat or umbrella in case of light rain
Take group photos at key locations and share them with the programme WhatsApp group
Overview
Overview
A day trip to St Andrews from Edinburgh is a wonderful way to explore one of Scotland’s most historic and picturesque towns. The journey takes about two hours: you can take a train from Edinburgh Waverley to Leuchars, then a short bus or taxi ride (about 10 minutes) to reach St Andrews itself. Or, the trip is available by private coach.
St Andrews is best known as the home of golf, with the famous Old Course attracting players from all over the world. Even if you don’t play, it’s worth visiting the clubhouse or walking along the seaside path that overlooks the course. Nearby, the British Golf Museum explains the history of the sport in Scotland.
The town is also home to St Andrews University, founded in 1413 and one of the oldest in the English-speaking world. Its old buildings, courtyards, and libraries give the town a special academic charm. You can also visit the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral and St Andrews Castle, both offering amazing views of the North Sea.
For lunch, try one of the many cafés or fish and chip shops near the harbour. In the afternoon, enjoy a walk along West Sands Beach, famous from the film Chariots of Fire.
On your way back to Edinburgh, you will stop off at a beautiful Fife coastal town, where you can visit a picturesque lighthouse overlooking the North Sea.
The Timetable for the Trip
The Timetable for the Trip
8:45 Meet at CES Edinburgh Summer School Centre
09:20 Coach to Forth Bridges Viewpoint
09:20 Information about UNESCO World Heritage rail bridge + group photo
09:35 Coach to St Andrews w/ Old Course coach tour
10:40 St Andrews Castle visit via St Andrews Cathedral
11:45 St. Andrews University and University Chapel
12:15 Lunch + free time
13:15 Walk to + time at St Andrews Beach (Chariots of Fire reenactment!)
14:00 Walk back to coach
14:15 Coach to Elie via Anstruther
14:50 Guided exploration of Ruby Bay, Lady’s Tower + Elie Ness Lighthouse
15:30 Coach to CES Edinburgh Summer School Centre via Fife Coastal Trail
17:15 Return to Edinburgh and release to host families
Speaking Notes for Activity Leaders
Speaking Notes for Activity Leaders
1. Forth Bridges Viewpoint
1. Forth Bridges Viewpoint
The Forth Bridge, a famous cantilever railway bridge in Scotland, was built from 1883-1889 as a response to the Tay Bridge disaster, using pioneering steel construction to create the world's first major steel structure and longest single cantilever span at its 1890 opening, becoming a landmark of Victorian engineering and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Designed by Fowler and Baker, it carries the Edinburgh-Aberdeen rail line and remains a vital, iconic crossing over the Firth of Forth.
2. St Andrews Castle
2. St Andrews Castle
St Andrews Castle is a ruined medieval fortress on a rocky headland. Once the opulent residence of powerful bishops, it served as the heart of the Scottish church.
During the Scottish Wars of Independence, the castle changed hands several times between the English and Scottish armies as both sides grappled to own it. After the Wars of Independence, the castle was left to decay and only ruins remain.
During the Scottish Reformation, where Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church and established the Protestant Church of Scotland, the castle became a centre of religious persecution and controversy. It was besieged in 1546 at the orders of the Scottish Regent to Mary Queen of Scots, James Hamilton, when a protestant congregation formed and took refuge inside. Attempts were made by both sides to create mine tunnels in order to break the siege, all of which can still be viewed today.
3. St Andrews Beach
3. St Andrews Beach
One of several St Andrew's beaches, West Sands is a vast, two-mile stretch famous from Chariots of Fire, great for walking, sand yachting, and kitesurfing, backed by dunes and golf courses.
Students can relax here, in the past some have even recreated the scene from Chariots of Fire!
4. Ruby Bay, Lady’s Tower + Elie Ness Lighthouse
4. Ruby Bay, Lady’s Tower + Elie Ness Lighthouse
The tower on the eastern headland of Ruby Bay was built in 1770 for Lady Janet Anstruther, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy Elie merchant and a regular swimmer in the waters around Elie Ness.
Lady Janet would get ready for her swim in a small cave on the beach below the Lady’s Tower. After her swim, Lady Janet would retire to the Lady’s Tower to recover from her exertions – and to ensure there were no unwelcome interruptions to her swim and post-swim relaxation, a servant would ring a bell in Elie to warn residents that it was time for her daily dip.
Standing proudly at the tip of Elie Ness, Elie Ness Lighthouse has been guiding vessels through the treacherous waters around the Forth of Firth for almost 120 years and is now a very popular subject for photographers.
Built in response to pleas from mariners who were unable to see the warning flashes from the lighthouses on the Isle of May and Inchkeith during stormy weather, a beam of white light has been shining from the top of Elie Ness Lighthouse every six seconds since 1908.
5. Elie Ness Lighthouse
5. Elie Ness Lighthouse
Standing proudly at the tip of Elie Ness, Elie Ness Lighthouse has been guiding vessels through the treacherous waters around the Forth of Firth for almost 120 years and is now a very popular subject for photographers.
Built in response to pleas from mariners who were unable to see the warning flashes from the lighthouses on the Isle of May and Inchkeith during stormy weather, a beam of white light has been shining from the top of Elie Ness Lighthouse every six seconds since 1908.
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