Old Course

Walking onto the Old Course at St Andrews is one of those moments that hits differently if you know your golf history. This is the track where the modern game essentially began, a links course that's been played since the 1500s and looks like it might well last another five centuries. The fairways roll across what feels like the edge of Scotland itself, with the North Sea keeping things properly bracing.

You don't need to be a golfer to get something from it. The views alone - across the bay towards the town, the wind constantly reshaping your idea of comfort - make the walk worthwhile. Non-players can stroll the public paths or watch from the clubhouse area. Golfers, naturally, will find it transcendent or maddening depending on the weather and their handicap. Allow a good couple of hours if you're walking the perimeter.

It's free to wander the course outside of play times, though actually teeing off requires serious advance booking and will cost you considerably. The best approach is checking in at St Andrews itself - the town's genuinely pleasant for a day out regardless.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby parks - Craigtoun Meadows is the pick of the bunch at 1.8 miles away, or St Andrews Holiday Park itself at 1.5 miles - the Old Course works perfectly as a morning visit before exploring the town's beaches and medieval streets. It's the kind of place that matters more in hindsight than it does underfoot.