I love St Andrews, always have. I’ve holidayed in flats, houses, and caravans over the years, so it was a refreshing change to view the home of golf from the elevated position of a hillside beside the village of Balmullo, at St Andrews Country Cabins, at Cuplahill Farm.

It would be a crime not to be outside on a day like today, that’s where I am right now, writing this on the deck of one of the four eco cabins. I think cabin doesn’t really conjure up the image of what these are, luxury lodges covers it more descriptively. The cabins sit up some way above sea level, and I feel like I am looking down on St Andrews with an air of detachment, but with the knowledge that everything it offers is within a 10 minute drive.

Stephen and Amanda Melville put up their first two ecocabins in 2012, and following a 70% occupancy rate, they have developed the site and put up the other two that planning granted back when they put in the initial application. The two new ones are all singing and dancing just like the first two, and opened in late summer this year. Three good sized bedrooms in each cabin has been attracting parties of people looking for different types of breaks.

Ideal for family breaks, golfing parties or those seeking a romantic country escape. Groups of couples come, book a couple of cabins and get together for special occasions.

The cabins are designed with the environment in mind and have living sedum roofs, solar thermal panels, internal heat exchangers and fluless gas stoves. The infrastructure of both cabins is entirely recyclable. Although the cabins are nestled on a peaceful hillside, next to a woodland, their location makes them within easy access of St Andrews, Dundee, Perth and Edinburgh.

Extremely family friendly, there is a little playpark behind the cabins where the kids can play freely (there’s a trampoline that lights up at night, it's very exciting you know, don’t expect to see your children after dusk). No busy roads, all safe and sound.

The cabins are impressive, well layed out, lots of space with three bedrooms, and two bathrooms, all the mod cons in the kitchen and a spacious living and dining space – but it is the view that lifts the whole experience. Rolling farmland sweeps down from the front of the properties, with Leuchars and St Andrews in the distance framed by the North sea.

The cabins inspire peace and lethargy. I’m sure the decks have some sort of magnetic power that keeps humans sitting still. If you can pull yourself away, Stephen, the owner tells me that there are walks galore all around the farm. “We must have around 100 people passing through here each day. There are woodland walks, walks around the village, through the farm, circular walks, the locals as well as our visitors make good use of them.”

We took the half hour option up through Willie’s woods at the back of the cabins on a circular route, searching for Stephen’s fields of phacelia and vetch which is planted to attract bees, they were beautiful fields of lavender-coloured flowers. The highlight was a path with a natural tree arch for a good 150 yards covered in damson plums. Shake a branch and they came tumbling down, and so sweet. Wee bit of foraging with the family never goes amiss. Apparently there are bountiful cherry, and hazel nut trees were in full fruit too, which we missed, but we had been encouraged to pick at will, and take home to make our own preserves if we wanted.

If you’re not up for using the trendy range cooker in the lodge and have come to completely chill out, just a few minutes drive down the road there is Thai Teak, a random combination of eastern furniture showroom with a fairly decent coffee shop attached. An impressive range of cakes has the place going like a fair with ladies lunching during the day.

St Andrews is the big draw of course, golf galore, the courses are spectacular, the golf shops don’t disappoint the many golf tourists that flood the town. The University attracts students from all over the world, giving the town a very cosmopolitan feel when you hear the variety of accents. The place is steeped in history, the castle was a big player in the story of the Protestant reformation struggle. St Andrews Castle was a bishop’s palace, a fortress and a state prison during its 450-year history. Just along the road is St Andrews cathedral, once the largest church in Scotland still has a wonderous quality to it, even though it was built in 1158.

You then have the plethora of restaurants and bars that St Andrews has to offer. As I said, I’ve been going to St Andrews for years, and the one thing I notice is the encroachment of restaurant chains, you know the type, Pizza Express, Nandos, Costas, there’s even a Greggs. I used to love St Andrews for all the independent cafes and shops, but wander up and down the two main shopping streets and you could almost be in any High Street in Scotland.

While I’m ranting, there are so many overpriced bars in St Andrews that you need a second mortgage to go out for a few after dinner. I know St Andrews attracts a more affluent student, but how they manage to maintain a drinking habit worthy of any self respecting student, and still feed themselves, is beyond me. Anyway, that’s the student’s parent’s problem.

It’s imperative, whether you play golf or not (I don’t), that you pay the well worth-it sum of £3 per adult for a round of putting on the Himalayas, that will separate the men from the boys.

You are up hill and down dale, it’s not easy but it is the best fun a family can have for under a tenner. It’s directly across from the beach, a beautiful, clean, endless beach. The one from Chariots of Fire, yes you can re-enact the run scene, you won't be the first.

And just a short stroll sees you standing at the 18th hole of the world famous St Andrews old course. Sit on the steps and you can watch every nationality come up the fairway, probably a dream they have held for years and have been saving for a decade to bring to reality.

As for my troop, we have our eye on a chippy tea. There’s two good ones in St Andrews; Cromars is owned by the chap that used to own the award winning one in Anstruther, and there’s Tailend in Market Street which often has a queue out the door. They offer a massive range of fish to choose from. Bit pricier than your usual high street chippy but worth it.

A walk around the castle grounds and down by the harbour rounded off a lovely evening watching the sun go down.

Back to the lodge for an hour with the wood burning stove on (it’s gas, much less mess) and a bath with a wee glass of wine. Kids were still bouncing on the light-up trampoline outside, it’s really cool apparently.

Stephen tells me that their farmhouse B&B is just as popular as ever, and he finds that large families book out the cabins and maybe the older generation head for the peace and quiet of the B&B, giving them a little respite from the family fun.

Stephen is a product of the Rural Leadership Scheme and always have ideas swirling round in his head for future plans. He’s a people person, chatty, friendly, a really welcome face when you arrive. Now that harvest is over he is thinking about the next challenge. There are buildings not making any money on the farm… they could possibly be an education centre with accommodation attached. If it’s in his mind, it is bound to happen.

At the moment his repeat custom is something in the region of 60-70%, it’s hard to find fault with the place. If you are looking for peace and relaxation this is it. And with St Andrews and Dundee close at hand you have options for entertainment. But if you want to see wildlife close at hand and enjoy walking, this is your paradise.

I’m back on the deck first thing in the morning finishing this article. The sun is shining on the east coast of Scotland, rare at this time of year, there’s a pony munching on grass right in front of the cabins, it’s a cracker of a day, and I couldn't think of a better place to start the day.

For more information check out the website, on www.standrewscountrycabins.co.uk or follow the facebook page for any late deals that are available.

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Over the years we have tried and tested lots of options around St Andrews, mostly with kids in tow, here are a few suggestions.

Things to do:

Go putting, it’s cheap and great fun. Try the Himalayas or the putting green at the Old Course.

Janettas Ice Cream parlour is an absolute must.

Craigtoun Country Park – a terrific day out, have a ride on the steam train, there’s play parks, trampolines, putting, a boating ponds with pedalos and rowing boats, and the café is reasonably priced.

Dundee's Camperdown Park - Impressive animal park and excellent play area.

Cairnie Fruit Farm, in Cupar, even if you don’t have kids with you, they have a fantastic restaurant, with their home grown strawberries manipulated into every cake combination possible. Kids play park is tremendous with enough to keep them busy for a full day.

St Andrews Botanic gardens – huge landscaped gardens but the draw for us has been the butterfly house. Walk into a wonderland of flutterbyes floating around your head and landing on you. Kids love it.

The beaches are amazing, west sands, east sands and further out there’s Tentsmuir beach, which is out by Leuchers. Contact Blown Away, a company offering land yachting and kayaking, paddle boards and surfing.

St Andrews Aquarium has more than just the expected sea dwellers. Highlights include a family of meerkats which perform for the crowds during feeding times. Also the resident seals and penguins are a joy to watch while the keepers educate the crowds.

Raining? Of course, it is. Go swimming at the East Sands Leisure Centre.

Still raining? St Andrews has its own independent cinema showing the current films.