Walk the storied halls of the University of St Andrews and attend courses taught by the faculty. Lodge in student accommodations on campus and explore the charming town of St Andrews and its environs.
Smithsonian at St Andrews
8 days from $5,995
Walk the storied halls of the University of St Andrews and attend courses taught by the faculty. Lodge in student accommodations on campus and explore the charming town of St Andrews and its environs.
Tour Details
TOUR BROCHURE
brochureWHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY
- Shana A.One of the best trips, ever! It was quite different from other vacations we've taken. I really enjoyed the trip-prep- the readings in advance and am continuing to enjoy "follow-up" reading. The class was so good. The tour leadership was really personal. I was so happy to be with such nice and interesting people. I felt like we were with friends, from the start. A great experience all around. Thank you!
- Kathryn W.A highly enjoyable and educational trip with companionable people and great tour leaders!
- Elizabeth D.The program at St Andrews is truly unique, it satisfies your needs for authentic experiences, expands your mind, and gives you precious insights to the Scottish mind and character.
JOURNEYS DISPATCHES
To view a section, please click on an option below.
* Click on hotel name to visit hotel web-site.
McIntosh Hall, St Salvator's Hall, or University Hall
St Andrews, United Kingdom
Accommodations will be provided in a traditional residence hall on campus that serves as student accommodation during the school year. Rooms are furnished but simple, equipped with one or two single beds, a desk, bedside table, internet, and phone access. Guests staying in the residence halls will share bathrooms with up to 5 people of the same gender. These simple bathrooms are located on your hallway and include toilets and shower stalls with a private changing area. However, a couple (male and female) sharing a room will find that one of them will need to head to a different floor to use the shower and toilet. Each guest will have a sink in their own room, and towels are provided. A buffet breakfast with a large variety of choices is provided daily in the hall’s restaurant. The residence halls also offer communal facilities, including a reading room, common room with a piano, laundry facilities, and TV room.
Ardgowan Hotel (alternate hotel for those choosing to upgrade)
St Andrews, United Kingdom
The Ardgowan Hotel is located a few minutes from the town center of St Andrews, and only yards from the famous St Andrews golf course. Rooms are decorated in a modern Scottish style. The in-house restaurant, Playfair’s, is known for its fresh cuisine and locally sourced ingredients. Guests staying at the Ardgowan Hotel will have breakfast at the hotel. Please note that the Ardgowan does not have an elevator.
Expectations: This is a special interest tour with long touring days and many full-day motor coach excursions. You can expect standing and walking for long periods of time during city tours, museum visits, and/or outdoor activities. On days with walking tours, expect 2-3 miles of gentle walking with stops and starts over terrain that is sometimes uneven or cobblestoned. Several visits will require that travelers be able to stand for 1-2 hours at a time.
Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit and comfortable with longer days of touring (both walking tours and coach time).
Great Scottish Writers
For a small country, Scotland’s writers have had a disproportionately large impact around the world. On this course we will read and discuss some of the work which has made Scottish literature a global phenomenon. Starting with the hugely influential Robert Burns (whose poetry influenced figures from Wordsworth to Whitman) and Sir Walter Scott (inventor of the historical novel), we will then explore enduring popular classics such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and JM Barrie’s Peter Pan. The week will conclude with a look at how a range of writers in the twentieth century built on the foundations laid by their predecessors and created work, ranging from poetry to crime fiction, which has played an important role in forming modern Scotland. Along the way we will visit locations connected with these authors, including the local birthplace of JM Barrie and the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town, and enjoy the riches of St Andrews’ literary archive.
Scottish Castles
Rugged clifftop ruins, elegant palaces and impregnable fortresses: Scotland’s castles are central to the history of the nation. On this course we will visit five castles, including Falkland Palace, the favourite hunting lodge of Mary, Queen of Scots, the picturesque ruins of Dunottar Castle, and the beautiful (and haunted) Glamis Castle, which has close connections to the modern British royal family. Through a combination of lectures and field trips, we will learn about the key historical events connected with these iconic structures, and walk in the footsteps of some of the more important figures in Scottish history.
Clans, Outlaws, Revolutionaries and Myths
It can be difficult to separate Scottish history from myth. Important events and personalities become romanticized or else fade into legend, and characters from folklore sometimes end up as famous as real figures. This course will explore the relationships between iconic aspects of Scottish culture, myth and history, from the Loch Ness Monster to Bonnie Prince Charlie, and from the Clan System to the place of Scotland in the formation of the modern globalized world. Combining interactive lectures, field trips and archives of national significance, Clans, Outlaws, Revolutionaries and Myths will introduce important moments in Scotland’s past, and the ideas which form Scottish cultural identity leading into the twenty-first century.
WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY
- Shana A.One of the best trips, ever! It was quite different from other vacations we've taken. I really enjoyed the trip-prep- the readings in advance and am continuing to enjoy "follow-up" reading. The class was so good. The tour leadership was really personal. I was so happy to be with such nice and interesting people. I felt like we were with friends, from the start. A great experience all around. Thank you!
- Kathryn W.A highly enjoyable and educational trip with companionable people and great tour leaders!
- Elizabeth D.The program at St Andrews is truly unique, it satisfies your needs for authentic experiences, expands your mind, and gives you precious insights to the Scottish mind and character.
Before your tour you will receive a reading list specific to the course you have chosen.
Below are a few books about St. Andrews which you can also read to prepare you for your visit.
*As an Amazon Associate, Smithsonian Journeys earns from qualifying purchases.
For the convenience of our travelers, Smithsonian Journeys includes a basic medical expense and evacuation plan through Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand, at no additional charge. This plan provides post-departure Medical and Dental coverage of $250,000 per person and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage of $1,000,000 per person (U.S. Residents Only). Note: For full details regarding these coverages please review the following Plan Documents here.
In addition, we recommend that travelers purchase a travel protection plan to help protect their travel investment from unforeseen events such as cancellation due to illness, flight delays due to adverse weather, baggage loss, and more. For your convenience, Smithsonian Journeys offers an optional Travel Protection Plan administered by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand. For those interested, optional "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage is available for an additional charge. Note: Certain eligibility requirements apply and Cancel for Any Reason coverage is not available to New York residents. For full details regarding this coverage please review the following Plan Documents here.
To learn more about the Travel Protection Plan, you may visit https://www.generalipartner.com/smithsonianjourneys or call the administrator, Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand at (866) 501-3252.