Rabbie’s St Andrews & Fife Tour from Edinburgh: Our Review
If you are in Edinburgh without a car and want a day out to St Andrews and the Fishing Villages in the East Neuk of Fife, the Rabbie’s St Andrews and Fife tour is the easy way to do it. It leaves Edinburgh Bus Station at 9.45 am, gets you back around 6.15 pm, and fits in Anstruther, St Andrews, and Falkland on the way.
The worry with any day tour is the clock. Too little time in St Andrews and you see the Old Course from the pavement and not much else. Too much time on the coach and the villages become photo stops.
I took this tour in June 2026, on a sunny Fife day with a 16-seat coach, and this is how the day went.
Below you will find what each stop was like, how I spent the time in St Andrews, what I would do differently, and honest notes on walking and access. For the rest of the region, our St Andrews travel guide and day trips from Edinburgh cover the alternatives.
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Rabbie’s St Andrews & Fife Tour at a glance
| Departs | 9.45 am, Gates J and K, Edinburgh Bus Station, St Andrew Square |
| Returns | About 6.15 pm, Edinburgh |
| Stops | Forth Bridges viewpoint, Anstruther, St Andrews (lunch stop), Falkland |
| Coach | 16-seat mini coach with a driver-guide |
| Included | Transport and guide. Food, drink and any entry tickets are extra |
How my day went
Edinburgh and the Forth Bridges
Check-in is inside the bus station, where Rabbie’s staff tick you off before the minibus arrives, so you know you are in the right place.
The route north crosses the Forth. The tour lists a viewpoint stop for the three bridges, but on my day we drove straight across. You still get the view of the rail bridge from the window, and the right-hand side of the coach has it.
Anstruther
Anstruther is the biggest of the East Neuk fishing villages, with a working harbour, painted cottages and a cluster of small shops along the front.
I spent the stop wandering the harbour and the shops and taking photos, and the light off the water was lovely. It is known for its fish and chips, and if you are hungry early, this is the place to have them, though I held out for lunch in St Andrews.
St Andrews
This is the long stop, and there was a buzz on the coach when we arrived. Clearly a lot of golf fans book this tour!
The coach drops you by the Old Course, and from there the town runs east along three main streets to the cathedral and castle ruins at the far end.
I walked up from the Old Course through the town, did a bit of shopping, bought a sandwich, and took it to the cathedral ruins, where I sat in the sun among the gravestones and the remains of what was once Scotland’s largest church. The cathedral grounds are free to walk around.
After lunch and a stroll I walked back through town in time for the coach. Our driver-guide holds up the return time on a card before you get off, so there is no guessing.
There is plenty to do and see in St Andrews from the Old Course, the cathedral, the castle, the university plus the shops so you will not be bored. If you want to go inside the castle or climb St Rule’s Tower at the cathedral, those are ticketed, so check opening times before you go.
Falkland
Falkland is a small royal burgh at the foot of the Lomond Hills, with a palace, a cobbled square and, for Outlander viewers, the fountain and the hotel that stood in for 1940s Inverness in the opening episode. I had to have the photo of course!
Falkland Palace is run by the National Trust for Scotland and has seasonal opening, so check whether it is open on your date if you want to go in. From Falkland, it is back to Edinburgh.
What I thought
It was a really good day. The timings gave St Andrews the time it deserves, the villages were more than photo stops, and the coach size means you get to know the people you are travelling with. The only thing I would say is that the Forth Bridges stop is not guaranteed, so if the bridges matter to you, ask the guide at check-in if they will be stopping.
Doug took a different Rabbie’s tour the same day, down to Alnwick Castle and the Northumberland coast, and later interviewed his guide, Graham, about what a Rabbie’s day is like from the driver’s seat. That conversation is episode 213 of the podcast.
Walking and access
The coach is a mini coach with steps up to the seats, so contact Rabbie’s before you book if steps are a problem. Anstruther harbour front is flat. St Andrews is a mile or so end to end on pavements, mostly level, with a gentle rise towards the cathedral, and the cathedral grounds are grass and gravel. Falkland’s square is cobbled.
Someone with a stick who can manage the coach steps and a mile of town at their own pace would be fine, and there is no need to walk the full length of St Andrews if you would rather spend the time near the drop-off. Public toilets are at the stops, and the coach has none, so use them when you can.
Plan the rest of your Scotland trip
If St Andrews has whetted your appetite, our guide to the best places to visit in Scotland and our Scotland travel guide will help you decide where next. For other operators we have travelled with, see our best UK tours round-up.
I was a guest of Rabbie’s on this tour, but as always, all views are our own.
