St Andrews proves to be the perfect choice for a lazy ladies’ weekend

A saintly short break.

St Andrews is famous for many things.

The home of golf. Where a boy called William met a girl called Kate. Fantastic beaches and gorgeous coastline.

Now add to that list the perfect place for a lazy girls’ weekend.

Our weekend away was long overdue one of those things we’d talked about for months but somehow never got round to.

Our list of requirements was simple. Once upon a time, a girls’ weekend would have been wild, sleep-deprived and maybe a wee bit drunken. Well, there was no need for any of that this time around!

No, we were after somewhere fairly close with great places to eat and somewhere nice to have a wander. And, as we intended to spoil ourselves, a touch of luxury at our accommodation. St Andrews was the perfect choice.

There’s a great selection of varied-price accommodation in and around St Andrews, but our choice was the luxury Morton of Pitmilly Countryside Resort, situated just outside St Andrews, at Kingsbarns.

This development of 16 self-catering holiday homes caters for everyone, from couples looking for a quiet weekend to families with kids to entertain.

The accommodation is immaculate and no expense was spared when it came to kitting them out.

Imagine beds so comfy you had your best night’s sleep in months, kitchens complete with top-of-the-range equipment and couches just demanding you lounge around on them while you gossip. Can you blame us for barely budging for hours on end?

Not that there isn’t plenty to do at the resort itself.

You can treat yourself to spa treatments, a dip in the heated indoor pool, a sauna or, if you’re more energetic than we were, a game of tennis or a workout in the gym.

We were full of good intentions, but somehow the trainers and workout kit went untouched.

Although we were there without children, it’s actually the perfect place for kids.

It’s compact enough that older children could get a bit of freedom to explore and do the things they want to do while younger kids are well catered for too.

Once we managed to tear ourselves away from the hard work of lounging around doing nothing, we ventured into St Andrews, which is about 10 minutes away by car.

It’s the perfect place for a wander. There are dozens of small, independent shops offering something a bit different. Perfect for an unusual gift or just for spoiling yourself.

St Andrews is also blessed with lots of coffee shops, restaurants and pubs.

If your idea of heaven is morning coffee and cake in a quirky caf, followed by a civilised drink in a cosy pub and then on to have something to eat, you’d be hard-pushed to find a better location than this picturesque corner of Fife.

Our best meal of the weekend was at Little Italy you know you’re surely on to a winner when you pick a restaurant on a Monday lunchtime and it’s packed.

Great Italian food and drink and fab service in nice surroundings. Just the type of place you could linger for hours.

If you’re in this part of the world, do make sure you drag yourself away from eating, drinking and spending though and take a wander down to the beach.

The views are fantastic and having a walk along the coast is a great away to blow away cobwebs. One word of advice, though St Andrews tends to be breezy whatever the month, so wrap up.

If you fancy venturing a bit further afield, check out Morton of Pitmilly’s 101 Things To Do suggestions.

From surfing at East Sands, to a wander through the fascinating Secret Bunker, built during the Cold War to protect Scotland from nuclear attack, there’s something to suit everyone.

For us lazy girls, though, we had an important appointment to keep with those oh-so-comfy couches back at our accommodation.

There was nothing else to do but grab a bottle of wine, open some snacks, kick back and relax. Just one complaint next time we’ll stay longer!

Check out the luxury at Morton of Pitmilly at pitmilly.co.uk. They also offer themed stays including breaks aimed at food lovers, golf fanatics and tennis fans.

St Andrews doesn’t have a rail station, but Leuchars is only a few minutes away by bus or taxi. The town also has a wealth of cafes, restaurants and pubs offering food.