Two Iconic Seaside Towns, One Unforgettable Itinerary

Rusacks St Andrews offers easy access to one of the world’s premier golf courses, directly overlooking the 1st and 18th holes of the Old Course.

Start your morning with breakfast and a view of West Sands Beach at The Bridge restaurant at Rusacks St Andrews.

Cozy up by the fire at Rusacks, where you’re greeted by a series of portraits of legends, including Scottish great, Old Tom Morris.

Head up to high-end 18 Rooftop Restaurant at Rusacks St Andrews for locally sourced seafood and beef, paired with breathtaking views of the Old Course from the terrace.

Stop for a photo at the iconic stone bridge, the Swilcan Bridge, on the St Andrews Old Course.

Well-dressed rooms and suites at Rusacks St Andrews are on par for a luxurious rest.

Marine North Berwick is a grand Victorian-style hotel known for its coastal setting overlooking Bass Rock and West Links golf course.

You’ll be treated to incredible beach views during a stint at Escape Sauna in North Berwick, where you can sweat in the sauna and then take a dip in the cold plunge.

Bass Rock Bar at Marina North Berwick is a dark and moody setting with gorgeous chandeliers, an inspiring spot to sip a cocktail or one of the award-winning whiskies.

No two rooms are alike at the historic 1800s Marine North Berwick hotel.

Aside from stellar golf, North Berwick is a picturesque seaside town known for its unique sandy beaches and rocky harbour area.

It’s worth having tea in the plush Marine North Berwick Lounge to soak up the views of famous Bass Rock.

The Lawn restaurant at Marine North Berwick offers incredible Italian cuisine with inventive seasonal starters, pastas, and pizza.

“You’d never get this kind of photo in the summer,” quips a local as he snaps a picture of us in front of the famous stone Swilcan footbridge on the Old Course in St Andrews, the oldest golf course in the world. It’s the sweet spot of late fall; the heavy golf crowds are gone, the air is crisp yet blustery, and we have the legendary course mostly to ourselves for a stroll.

While the storied town of St Andrews is a golf mecca, in fall, it softens into a romantic seaside town where medieval history and bundled-up coastal walks shine. We made our home base at Rusacks St Andrews, a stately 19th-century hotel. Commanding a front-row seat to both the first and 18th fairways of the Old Course, it is steps away from historic ruins, university buildings, and shops selling everything from kilts to cashmere. Rusacks reopened in 2021 after being completely transformed by Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts—known for restoring downtrodden historic hotels in seaside golf destinations.

The hotel channels the warmth of a Scottish manse, with crackling fireplaces, stretching wooden bookshelves, and velvety couches and chairs that invite lingering over a dram of whisky. Even if you’re not an avid golfer, the hotel impresses with large portraits of golf greats mixed with classic sporting motifs. It’s worth upgrading to a room overlooking West Sands Beach, the filming location for the iconic opening scene in Chariots of Fire. Our king room draped in tartan carpeting and patterned wallpaper was the embodiment of a snug retreat, with heated bathroom tiles that hit just right.

Hand in hand, my husband and I roamed the nearby University of St Andrews, imagining the place where young Prince William and Kate fell in love. It would be easy to do in a town dotted with charming cafés like Spoiled Life and Northpoint Café, perfect for cozying up with a warm drink. For history lovers, the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral and Castle, perched dramatically above the sea, are must-sees, especially in fall when the grounds are uncrowded.

One morning, I booked a workshop at Islander, choosing hardware, a handle, and sifting through patterned Harris Tweed—pure virgin wool, handwoven in the Outer Hebrides—to craft a one-of-a-kind handbag. Another day, we joined a St Andrews Food Walking Tour, which pairs town lore with memorable bites: sticky toffee pudding at The Bothy, impeccably fresh fish at Tailend, and I.J. Mellis & Son, a cheese lover’s paradise.

Back at the hotel, we enjoyed a private whisky tasting in Rusacks’ Room 116, a former suite transformed into a plush, speakeasy-style hideaway. Dinner at the buzzy 18 rooftop restaurant capped the evening, with menu highlights like oysters from the western coast, grilled cod in a smoky broth, and a twice-baked cheddar soufflé I still think about.

We headed next to the coastal enclave of North Berwick—a two-hour drive from St Andrews or a 30-minute train ride from Edinburgh—and checked into Marine North Berwick, another beautifully restored seaside grand dame. It was hard to focus on checking in, as the back windows grabbed my attention, framing vivid green fairways and the dramatic silhouette of Bass Rock rising from the water. These are the kinds of views that move you to head straight for the sand—North Berwick’s beach walk is among the most beautiful I’ve experienced—or settle into the living room with tea service to watch the sky soften to pink at sunset. Dinner at The Lawn impressed us, with Italian dishes from housemade pastas to pizzas, offering a welcome break from all the seafood we’d had.

Outside of golf, relaxation is the name of the game during fall. The hotel’s spa hums with guests rotating between the sauna, steam room, and hydro pool. I opted for an invigorating salt-and-oil exfoliating scrub, before heading to the off-site Escape Sauna, where an hour stint in the beachfront sauna and the outdoor cold plunge was both grounding and exhilarating. In whisky-obsessed Scotland, it’s worth detouring to NB Distillery for a tasting of their award-winning London Dry Gin, which is made right there. You’re also within driving distance to popular seaside towns like Elie, Crail, and Anstruther—all with beautiful waterfronts and stellar fish and chips.

Come fall, the real luxury in Scotland isn’t playing the famous golf courses but slowing down enough to experience everything around them. marineandlawn.com