Things to See & Do
There is so much in our part of the world to explore, visit, play or experience.
Our top recommended things to see and do while visiting Fife and Dundee:
Hold your very own indoor barbecue in our brand new barbecue hut whatever the weather. Order your barbecue pack before you arrive from our local butcher, Nicoll's of Newport. The hut costs £75 for 6 guests or £50 for 4 guests for 4 hours (afternoon or evening). Contact us for prices for larger group bookings.
Take some time out and relax in our new treehouse / bird hide. A deliberately WiFi-free zone and perfect for adults and children alike. Spend a few hours spotting the local wildlife - woodpeckers, red squirrels, chaffinch, goldfinches, blackbirds, song thrush, bullfinches, tree sparrows, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, long tailed tits and the quite rare spotted flycatcher - and have a picnic on the deck.
GOLF - They say that St Andrews is the Home of Golf, in fact there are 45 golf courses in Fife inlcuding the famous Old Course, 32 in neighbouring Angus, including Carnoustie and around 40 in Perthshire, including Gleneagles. Sandford is centrally located for all the courses so is the ideal location if you plan to play a few courses in the area. Tee off on one of the Home of Golf’s 50 courses. If you’re not a golfer, take a walk across the famous Old Course on a Sunday or try your hand at putting on the Himalayas.
WALKING & CYCLING - There are some lovely walks and cycle routes directly from Sandford - down the hill and round a couple of ponds or into the field and climb the hill for a magnificent all-round view of St Andrews Bay, the Tay bridges and all the way upriver towards Perth. Follow the path all the way up the Gauldry and back for a good 1.5 hour walk.
We can store any number of bicycles in our secure sheds.
It is possible to walk in to Wormit and Newport-on-Tay (around 4 miles). There are some lovely views of the river and the rail bridge. Once you get to Newport the village is well catered for with cafes for a well-deserved drink and some lunch /home baking!
If you’d like to feel the sand between your toes then the beach at Tentsmuir is worth a visit as are the West Sands and East Sands at St Andrews. http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/visit/tentsmuir
A walk up Norman’s Law is also worth considering - it’s a long way up but the view from the top is stunning.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/normans-law.shtml
This is a list of walks near St Andrews and East Fife:
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/east-fife.shtml
Fife Coastal Path - http://www.fifecoastalpath.co.uk/
The Fife Coastal Path runs from the Forth Estuary in the south, to the Tay Estuary in the north and stretches for 117 miles. The path is clearly waymarked and offers a range of walking experiences from the easy and level, to the wild and demanding. Whether done in bite sized chunks or as a long distance route there is definitely something for everyone.
The two closest routes to us here at Sandford are Tay Bridge to Newburgh - 17 miles and St Andrews to Tay Bridge - 18 miles
Fishing - the fishery just down the road at Newton Farm is now open again and apparently there is a lot of trout waiting to be caught!
Tennis - Wormit and Newport Tennis Club allows guests to play at the courts in Wormit and Newport. The cost is £3 for adults and £1.50 for juniors. Pay by putting money through the letterbox on the clubhouse door!
Watersports - You can take out a temporary membership of Wormit Boating Club & Watersports Hub and take part in rowing, sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding and open water swimming. Ask us for details as we are both members there. If you're a seasoned St Ayles Skiff rower let us know and we'll take you out in one of our 3 skiffs.
The new V&A Musuem in Dundee is quite simply amazing. Focusing on Scottish design with varying exhibitions throughout the year. Entrance is free although there is a charge for some exhibitions:
- Some of the activities below may not be fully open so it's best to check beforehand.
- Take boat trip on the River Tay to visit Broughty Ferry, the new V&A museum, the Bellrock lighthouse and you might even see some dolphins. Book tickets at: https://www.davidandersonmarine.com/
- Go on a Dark Dundee Tour - https://www.darkdundee.co.uk/
- If you fancy a wee dram to warm you up, visit the distillery at Kingsbarns for a 'Dream to Dram' tour or visit Fife's newest distillery, Lindores in Newburgh.
- Visit St Andrews Cathedral and climb the 156 steps to the top of St Rules Tower in St Andrews for some stunning views.
- Outlander fans must visit Falkland, Culross, Balgonie Castle, Dysart Harbour and Aberdour Castle - all film locations used in the drama series.
- Stop off at North Queensferry to admire the engineering marvel of the Forth Bridge – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and drive over the new Queensferry crossing
- Visit Scotland's Secret Bunker and discover how Scotland would have been governed during a nuclear attack in the Cold War.
The Fife Outdoors website has lots of great ideas for things to do and places to go:
Motor Racing - we are only a 30 minute drive from Knockhill Racing Circuit if you enjoy the excitement of cars and bikes at speed! http://www.knockhill.com
The Byre Theatre, St Andrews has a great variety of performances worth seeing. http://byretheatre.com
Other activities
Scottish Wildlife & Adventure Tourism http://www.wild-scotland.org.uk/
Trips/activities taken recently by guests include:Visiting Dunottar Castle, a day trip by train to Edinburgh, an overnight trip to Inverness, a visit to Stirling Castle, fish and chips in Anstruther, attending a graduation ceremony in St Andrews, attending a local wedding, 60th birthday celebrations for a group of friends.
Fife Farmers Markets are on every Saturday and alternate between Cupar, St Andrews, Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline https://you-well.co.uk/st-andrews-guide/#Fife_Farmers_Market
If you're here for the food, you won't be disappointed! Our local village has 4 fabulous places to eat out: