East Sands Leisure Centre

The East Sands Leisure Centre sits right on St Andrews' seafront, a proper modern facility that punches above its weight for a town this size. You've got a swimming pool, gym, and sports halls - the kind of place locals actually use rather than somewhere that exists purely for tourists. It's brilliant if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks like St Andrews Holiday Park or Craigtoun Meadows and the Scottish weather turns grey.

Families will find it genuinely useful. The pool is decent for kids, the staff are unfussy, and there's none of that leisure-centre pretension you sometimes get. Swimmers come here to train rather than lounge about, which keeps the tone sensible. If you've got teenagers who need burning off or anyone keen on gym time, this beats paying for a day pass at some corporate chain.

It's free to walk past, obviously, but you'll pay to use facilities - entry fees typically run a few quid for a swim, though exact prices change. Allow a couple of hours if you're planning a proper session. Mornings tend to quieter than school runs and weekends.

The real value is convenience. You're yards from the beach and walking distance from St Andrews town centre, so it slots neatly into a park holiday without eating up the day. Couple it with Craigtoun Meadows Holiday Park up the road and you've got proper infrastructure sorted - the leisure centre handles rainy afternoons, the caravan park handles the rest.