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Depart Edinburgh at 09.30 and travel north to South Queensferry. The town is named after the 11th century Queen Margaret who dedicated her life to changing the social welfare of the people, particularly the church, earning her the title 'Saint Margaret of Scotland'. North of Edinburgh there were two very important churches - St Andrews and Dunfermline, but getting from Edinburgh across the wide Firth of Forth was difficult, so Queen Margaret provided a free ferry for pilgrims, hence 'Queen's Ferry'. The ferry remained in existence until the opening of the Forth Road Bridge in 1964 by the present Queen.
From Queensferry we drive up and onto the Forth Road Bridge, giving us a great view across to one of Scotland's greatest man-made landmarks - the Forth Rail Bridge. At over a mile and a half (2300m) long, the bridge was completed in 1890, and until recently was the longest Cantilever bridge in the world. It is a true testament of Scottish engineering. Once over the bridge we enter the Kingdom of Fife. Bounded to the south by the wide Firth of Forth, to the north by the Firth of Tay and to the east by the North Sea the area was once a sub-kingdom of the old Pictish realm, a natural peninsula almost cut off from the rest of Scotland, and so remained semi-independent for longer than other parts. Central Fife used to be very poor, until the discovery of coal, while the towns and villages along its coastline were rich from all the trade across the North sea, causing King James VI to describe the area as a 'Beggar's mantle fringed with gold'. The golden fringe he referred to was the East Neuk (or nook, meaning corner), Fife's easternmost stretch of coastline and home to a string of picturesque villages each with its own distinctive character and charm. One of these, Lower Largo, is best known as the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk the real-life Robinson Crusoe and inspiration for Daniel Defoe's novel whilst neighbouring Earlsferry is said to be where MacDuff hid from Shakespeare's Macbeth. We stop in the traditional fishing village of Anstruther (known as 'Enster' locally) where you can check out its old cobbled streets and network of little alleyways and wynds or take a walk along the seafront to the harbour.
From Anstruther we continue north to the medieval town of St Andrews. St Andrew is the patron Saint of Scotland, and according to legend his remains were washed up on the Fife coast. The shrine became a place of worship for Christian pilgrims from far and wide and the town developed into the religious capital of Scotland complete with a huge Norman Cathedral, the largest in all of Scotland. Founded in 1160 the Cathedral was devastated first by fire and later by zealous religious reformers but the ruins provide a fascinating insight into what it once must have been like. Today St Andrews attracts another type of pilgrim, being famous world-wide as the home of golf and the Mecca for all golfers - the 'Old Course'. The course, founded in 1754, is in beautiful condition and its emerald green grass contrasts with the golden sands of the beach nearby. St Andrews is also home to the oldest University in Scotland, at nearly 600 years old, and the third oldest in Britain behind Oxford and Cambridge. Also dating from this period is the town's once mighty castle which, perched on a rocky headland overhanging the sea, is a ruin with a violent and murderous past. Every street, every building is surrounded with history and we give you almost 3 hours to explore this amazing town.
From St Andrews we take a pleasant drive through the rolling countryside of central Fife, with its small villages and patchwork of farms, to Falkland. Falkland Palace dominates this old village, and was one of the main residences of the old Royal family of Scotland, the Stewarts (Stuarts). Aside from the palace the village is simply one of the most beautiful in Scotland with an array of old cottages and narrow winding streets. You can take time to wander around the picturesque village or enjoy a drink in one of the villages traditional pubs or tearooms. Leaving Falkland we return to Edinburgh, passing Loch Leven, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned by her Protestant nobility. And then we once again cross the Firth of Forth and return to the city centre. Arrive approx: 18.00.
Photography Credits: Visit Britain, Visit Scotland, Britainonview, Mike Hasted, Luke Sheppard, Ingrid Rasmussen, Pawel Libera, Tony Pleavin, Craig Easton, David Angel, Martin Brent, Bob Berry, Paul Watts |
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Posted by Mrs Fry on 13/05/2013
I did this tour last Saturday with 5 friends (all local) and we had an amazing day out - and learned lots of facts about the area and Scotland. Thanks to Karen for looking after us so well.
Posted by JanetW on 19/04/2013
Mac was a wonderful guide. So knowledgeable and funny. He even played the bagpipes for us.
Posted by Anne Carty on 09/04/2013
Eric, the driver and guide, was fantastic! His stories came to life and had me loving Scotland! Right mix of information, jokes and so on. Excellent day, and absolutely superb guide!
Posted by Michael Giannotti on 26/02/2013
We were recently in Edinburgh to celebrate the holidays and on the 28th, we took a one-day tour up to St. Andrews, stopping along the way at Queensferry and some of the small fishing villages along the coast. The tour was one of the highlights of our stay in Scotland. Our guide, John (sometimes known as Angie), was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the places we visited and of Scotland in general. And he kept us well entertained throughout the entire tour. My wife (the real Angie) and I would definitely recommend Rabbies to anyone who wants to spend a very enjoyable time for a very reasonable amount of money. Thanks, Bob and Angie (the navigator) Alder
Posted by Bob and Angie Alder on 08/01/2013
Al, our guide was very friendly and helpfull. He told some great stories about the area and scotland!
Posted by Marcus Daalhuizen on 27/12/2012
Paul's knowledgeable commentary and his friendly manner. I especially appreciate that you ran the tour even though there were only 3 of us. Rabbies will always be my family's first choice.
Posted by Lee McNutt on 05/12/2012
I really enjoyed St. Andrew's but also was really glad I got to see the small towns on the way up North. I knew there was a benefit to taking a RAbbie's tour to St. Andrews over the bus/train. Teh commentary from Emily was amazing! I would receommend her to anyone and loved her stories. Very knowledgable gal! Overall I would go on this tour again I enjoyed it SO much!
Posted by Abigail Ginn on 12/11/2012
Jonathan was an absolute delight and his commentary really made the tour!
Posted by Eleanor Colaso on 12/11/2012
Having Audrey as our Tour Guide was worth the price of admission in itself. She has great wit, keeps things moving, is informative and fun to be around.
Posted by Robert Dungey on 15/10/2012
Loved the different things to see in St. Andrews. Two of us were interested in the Cathedral, one is a bird watcher and one is a golfer so there was something for each of us to do.
Posted by Elizabeth Higuera on 24/09/2012
I liked the little fishing villages a lot and the sea views :)
Posted by Gita Krastina on 24/09/2012
I went on the St. Andrews tour on September 6. It was the first time I had tried Rabbies so I was not sure what to expect. The guide, Shelby, was excellent, with a great sense of humour and a detailed knowledge of the places we visited. Her story telling, especially on the way back to Edinburgh, was worthy of an award, it was a performance that reflected knowledge of the history of Scotland as well as a love of the place. The tour was so enjoyable that I booked another with Rabbies for the following day.
Posted by C Stewart on 11/09/2012
This was the first tour we did with Rabbie's and loved every second! Thanks again to Jamie who was one of the best tour guide's I have meet so far. He had great humour and was clearly passionate about the history of his country...
Posted by Carlie on 31/08/2012
This was the first tour we did with Rabbie's and loved ever second!
Posted by Carlie on 31/08/2012
Great being in a small group, guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. I enjoyed St Andrew's the most.
Posted by Rachel Maudlen on 26/08/2012
enjoyed the fact that it was a small group - felt more 'a part of it', even as a solo traveller
Posted by Suzanne Rennie on 21/08/2012
Thanks to Barney who has such a wonderful way of relaying the history of Scotland during our tour to St Andrews on 13 Aug!
Posted by Rozaan on 14/08/2012
Thanks to Barney who has such a wonderful way of relaying the history of Scotland during our tour to St Andrews on 13 Aug!
Posted by Rozaan on 14/08/2012
This was an awesome tour, thanks to Pete, who made it not only lots of fun but an interesting history lesson, especially about Fife. I enjoyed all the included stops and there was enough time in St. Andrews to visit the ruins of the Castle and the Cathedral (and climb St. Rules tower) and have a nice lunch. I chose to visit Falkland Palace, on our stop here, and this was an excellent Palace, with beautiful gardens.
Posted by Helen Lang on 16/07/2012
We really enjoyed the destinations, but that was excepted. What was unexpected was the friendly interaction with our guide, the music selection and the fantastic stories.
Posted by Marie-Claude Guilbert on 01/07/2012
I liked exploring Falkland on my own while the others went to the castle and I also enjoyed St Andrews.
Posted by Marina Uotani on 25/06/2012
I think the most enjoyable of my tour was without doubt our Guide Audrey was fantastic, a very friendly and funny person, i liked her personality (send her my regards)
Posted by Jessica Sato on 18/06/2012
We loved Anstruther and Falkland Castle.
Posted by Claudia Auerswald on 29/03/2012
Alistor was our guide on tour and he is brilliant at his work. he gave us complete knowledge of the places he took us to in a very friendly manner. he did every thing under his control to make sure we are entertained all the time. Very satisfactory tour
Posted by Panchal Mehal on 26/11/2011
We enjoyed out time in St. Andrews. Loved the town. We would like to spend more time there if we ever get the chance to return. Bob was wonderful. Very glad he was our tour guide.
Posted by Teresa Ward on 01/10/2011
Sara was amazing. She is very knowledgable and incorporated personal travel experiences in her commentary. She provided ample time at each stop for us to tour around and also offerred restaurant suggestions. I will definately book another tour in the future.
Posted by Sue Whyte on 29/09/2011
We love to take photos and we had great shots at all the stops.
Posted by Connie Madrid on 28/09/2011
Derek had a fantastic way of keeping the stories interesting, informative and quite comical at times. All in all a great combination.
Posted by Paul Lindau on 01/09/2011
I enjoyed this trip very much. Ian was a gifted storyteller and he kept us entertained the entire trip. He was very knowledgeable. I felt that St. Andrew's was timed perfectly. We were able to see all we wanted to and did not feel rushed.
Posted by Shannon Sommers on 30/06/2011