We were up early as our luggage needed to be ready for pickup outside our cabin by 6:00am. This disembarkation process was so well managed. We were able to have a good breakfast in the Veranda dining area and then we needed to be in the lounge by 7:45. Our disembarkation group departed at 8:00 for our bus to St. Andrews and then on to Edinburgh. Surprisingly, there were only 6 of us who opted for the extra excursion to St. Andrews. We met up with our driver Carl and guide Fiona and off we went. It was sad to leave the ship.
Fiona was a great guide and she talked in detail about everything we passed between Dundee and St. Andrews. Christine was especially excited about going to St. Andrews as she lived there as a child. We visited St. Andrews in 2014.
The other 4 women in our group were especially interested in the St. Andrews Golf Links and their goal was to purchase something saying St. Andrews Golf Links. Golfers from all over the world come here because it is the home of golf and the Old Course is the oldest in the world.
Nearby is the beach where the opening scene of Chariots of Fire was filmed.
Fiona walked us around several streets of St. Andrews. I love the sandstone block buildings.
We stopped in the St. Andrews University Chapel.
Walking down one street we passed by St. James Roman Catholic Church, the church Christine’s family attended when she lived here.
WE walked by the ruins of St. Andrew’s Castle, which really was the Bishop’s Palace.
The fog was beginning to roll in from the sea as we made our way over to the ruins of the St. Andrews Cathedral. This is an incredible ruin. It was built starting in 1158. It fell into disuse in the 16th century when the Catholic mass was outlawed during the Scottish Reformation. When built, it was massive, 390 feet long, and was the largest church ever built in Scotland.
On our walk back to the bus, we walked into the courtyard of St. Mary’s College.
While the 4 others went off to buy their golfing swag, Fiona walked us over to Madras College where Christine attended a primary school. Unfortunately, the buildings were all covered in scaffolding and a covering as it was undergoing a big renovation. That was disappointing.
Back on the bus, we traveled to Edinburgh through beautiful countryside.
Coming in to Edinburgh, we crossed over the Firth of Forth where we saw the famous old railroad bridge. It is a cantilevered bridge built in 1890.
We drove by a beautiful old building that was originally built as a school for the deaf in 1840, the Donaldson School. It was in use until 2008 when the school moved to a new facility.
We got a nice look at the suburbs of Edinburgh, and before we knew it, we arrived at Haymarket Station where we were to leave the bus. From there we got a cab and got to our hotel.
We dumped our stuff in the room and went in search of a late lunch. Adjoining the hotel lobby was a Lebanese restaurant, so that’s where we had a nice lunch. After what seemed like a long day, we decided to stay in for the evening and start our Edinburgh visit tomorrow.