The (Literally) Priceless Power of a Young Scot Card: Students’ Favourite Day Trips and Discounts

Is St Andrews as secluded as they say? Protected from the North Sea by just a crumbling castle, cut off from the world by miles of farmland, and nicknamed ‘The Bubble’, St Andrews is as isolated as can be.

Or is it?

Whether you’re an anxious fresher or a jaded fourth-year, the three streets of St Andrews can get pretty small pretty quick. A Young Scot Card offers an easy way out.  Providing free bus travel throughout the country for under-22s, it’s become one of the most precious pieces of plastic I own.

“I use my Young Scot Card for all travel, always”, incoming second-year Sophie Rose Jenkins declared, “even just to do my shopping”. Though free bus travel is the crowning jewel, a Young Scot Card also offers discounts across Scotland and Europe. Many of the historic sites spread across Fife have free access or reduced prices with the card. Jenkins took full advantage of this when visiting Falkland Palace in May to celebrate the end of exams.

Self-proclaimed “massive nerds” like Jenkins will be glad to know that Historic Scotland Sites are a one-pound entry. “I knew [Falkland Palace] was gonna be an amazing post-exams trip,” Jenkins said, explaining that she would study history if she had room for more modules. To make up, she’s hoping to cover Fife’s abundance of historic sites.

Though she got off at the wrong stop after the hour-long bus ride, Falkland Palace was too fascinating to be coloured by a little mishap. Finding a cheap bakery chock full of macaroni and haggis pies enhanced the experience, Jenkins said, recommending a picnic. The “massive” grounds provide plenty of space to roam, while indoors, guides are “more than happy to natter about history” as you examine Mary Queen of Scots’ bedroom. 

Another incoming second-year, Corey Long, also found herself exploring a Fife castle this spring. Aberdour Castle offered a great afternoon of history and rambling exploration to Long, who walked there on the Fife Coastal Path from nearby Burntisland. 

“It’s gonna be a perfect day trip this autumn,” Long said, enthusiastically. There’s also an orchard open for apple picking later in the season, she explained.

If you’re looking for a more modern-day trip, the Kirkcaldy Links Market isn’t to be missed. Established in 1304, it’s Scotland’s oldest street fair and the longest in Europe. Only a couple of buses away from St Andrews, it provides plenty of “food that’ll make you feel kind of sick” and “really fast rides”, during a six-day stretch each April, said Long. High-speed thrills don’t usually scream “Fife”, but Long recalls her pounding heart as she watched rides whirl her friends over the Kirkcaldy coast.  If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, you will find it in the flashing lights and sky-high rides of the Market.  For those preferring to keep their feet on solid ground, Long recommends the candy floss. 

As for a more earthy adventure, incoming second-year Honey Rothert recommends taking the Fife Coastal Path from St Andrews to Crail. At a respectable thirteen miles, Rothert and her friends spent one February morning exploring the trail, which takes you up and down beaches and cliffsides. If you make good time, you can end your walk with a fish and chips dinner. Though Rothert says the path wasn’t too challenging, she has one piece of advice for any wannabe walkers: “Check the tides”. Long seconded this: “You don’t [want to] end up hiking up the side of a cliff while hanging onto a barbed wire fence.” 

Though Fife has plenty of old palaces and pretty towns to explore, Long offered an insider tip for anyone wanting a quick way out to the rest of Scotland: “Take a CityLink bus”. Lots of different bus companies operate in Fife, but Citylink is usually the most dependable option if you’re trying to get any further west than Dunfermline, any further north than Dundee, or anywhere beyond the Firth of Forth (and if you want to go east, I’d recommend checking out St Andrews’ wild swimming society). The Scottish Citylink service offers frequent express rides between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Inverness, Aberdeen and Stirling. “Citylink buses are really pleasant, better than aeroplanes,” Long said, explaining that the beauty of Young Scot’s free bus travel is that fancier services come at the same price point (read: nothing) as other options. 

Long discovered Citylink after an unfortunate evening, which began with a missed bus and ended in an eye-wateringly expensive taxi. She’s used it ever since. So far, she’s met up with old friends in Glasgow, tried new restaurants in Edinburgh and this year, her flatmate might even see how close she can get to the Highlands — all on a Citylink.

So, is St Andrews cut off from the world, adrift in our little university bubble? Maybe, but from Falkland to Aberdour to the Fife Coastal Path, students are good at finding places to do what they love, whether that’s history or a hike. And a Young Scot Card is good at making everything a bit simpler and softer on your wallet. If castles and coastlines aren’t your thing (though I might raise my eyebrows at why you chose St Andrews), the city skylines of Glasgow and Edinburgh are only a (free) Citylink away. Will I commit identity fraud on my twenty-second birthday in order to keep my free bus travel? I’m definitely considering it. As beautiful as The Bubble is, sometimes a day trip is just what a busy student needs.

Illustration by Sandra Palazuelos Garcia