5 Best Hotels in St. Andrews, Fife and Angus

Ten acres of formal and informal gardens surround this vine-covered country house with individually designed rooms, a wonderful restaurant, and a cozy lounge-bar with a handsome fireplace and terrace. All the rooms and four lodges (ideal for families) are beautifully decorated and have big, comfortable beds and bright, contemporary bathrooms. Take a walk around the flower-filled gardens, especially on a summer's night. The Seasons Restaurant is popular with locals celebrating anniversaries and graduations. Dishes are fairly simple but well prepared and, of course, seasonal, with much picked from the kitchen garden. Look out for hand-dived scallops, roast lamb, and an unforgettable local cheese board. Lighter fare is available at the bar.

Occupying a handsome 17th-century building with a swanky modern extension overlooking the 18th hole and West Sands, Rusacks offers stylish Caledonian luxury, top-notch dining, and friendly service. The guest room design mixes traditional Highland hunting lodge chic, like sumptuous fabrics and nods to golfing history, with stylish modern comforts and smart bathrooms. Eating and drinking options include the glamorous fine-dining venue 18; the light-filled Bridge for relaxed food and mesmerizing breakfast views; and the golfer's hidey-hole One Under Bar with pub grub, malts, and cocktail capers.  

Run by welcoming and helpful hosts, this homey B&B in a Victorian town house has seven comfortable rooms in soothing colors with modern, unfussy bathrooms. Bountiful breakfasts are served in a handsome dining room and feature local produce and both hearty and healthy options, including full Scottish breakfasts, pancakes, and Fife berries.

Three miles from the center of St. Andrews, this modern hotel has spectacular views of the bay and two superb golf courses. The rooms eschew swags and frills, opting instead for muted colors and simplicity. Look for thoughtful touches like quality linens on the beds and heated floors in the ample bathrooms. There are four restaurants: the Squire, offering brasserie-grill dishes; the trattoria-style La Cucina, serving basic pasta and pizza; the Atrium Lounge for teas, sandwiches, and pastries; or St Andrew's Bar & Grill with its club sandwiches and panini. Golfers will find inspiration in the velvety fairways of cliff-top courses: the Torrance Course, designed by the great Scottish player Sam Torrance, and the Kittock Course.

Regularly hosting international golf stars and jet-setters, the Old Course Hotel has much-coveted guest room fairway views, grand public spaces, and fabulous facilities including a swanky spa. Walk along the beach to work up an appetite, then have dinner in either the fine-dining Road Hole, rooftop Swilcan Loft, or the more relaxed Hams Hame Bar & Grill. The best of the bars is the famous Jigger Inn, the old stationmaster's lodge turned cozy 19th hole.