Hi, Happy to see you back. I’m glad the pickpockets in Edinburgh didn’t get you.
Our next stop was St. Andrews, famous for golf. There are the ruins there of a magnificent cathedral and monastery, with a good museum; and a small castle.
So how did the spend their time? The poster says that even the clerics enjoyed a quite lavish lifestyle. One died leaving 20 illegitimate children.
If you had done something wrong, your fate was also determined by your status. All were confined to the Sea Tower. If you were nobles, you were confined to the luxurious upper floors, which also used as guest quarters. Commoners were shut in an unlit ground floor cell or maybe even lowered into the infamous bottle dungeon.
St. Andrews is famous for many things, but in the US it is mostly known for Golf. To golfers, it is often the Mecca of Golf, and on the Bucket List. There are several courses there, but the one everyone wants is the AuldCourse. It is the most difficult and the most expensive and the most booked.
It will cost your between £88 and £180 to play, depending on the season. At current exchange rates that is between $112 and $230. There are also some regulations. For example: You have a suitable handicap (maximum of 24 for men and 36 for women). If this is too much money or too low a handicap, there are about 7 other courses you can play. I understand that you can play just one hole in a special area for a small fee, just to say you played St. Andrews.
Before you buy some golf ball in Scotland to bring to the US, be aware of the regulations. They are not legal in competition due to size issues. Also, the AULD Course is very difficult. The greens are like our fairways; the fairways are like our rough; and their rough is…. well, ROUGH.
We stayed the night in Inverberbie at the Crown Inn.
The hotel is a very good place to stay: comfortable, convenient and clean. A good staff, with good service for dinner and an included breakfast. I recommend it highly.
Hope you get to visit St. Andrews some day. It is worth the trip. See you next time.