Summer is nearly upon us, and when the weather starts to get better, it's the perfect time to plan a fun weekend trip or two. If you fancy visiting somewhere offering amazing cuisine, stunning scenery, a fascinating history and so much more, there's one location that deserves attention.

Home to one of Britain's most ancient universities, St Andrews on Scotland's east coast is truly distinctive. Where else would you find a 170 year old pub a stone's throw from an Oliver Bonas? It's a destination I've visited so many times, yet each trip uncovers something fresh to experience.

During a weekend getaway to Lower Largo, a small village in Fife, we stopped by St Andrews for the afternoon. From Edinburgh it's approximately an hour and a half's drive by car, while from Glasgow it's an hour and three quarters.

Whether you're enthusiastic about it or not, most people likely know that St Andrews is primarily celebrated for its golfing history.

The Old Course, one of the world's most famous courses, boasts an iconic landmark that demands a photograph no matter how frequently you've been.

The Swilcan Bridge, built over 700 years ago, served as our first stop on this visit. Located on the course's 18th hole, stepping onto the green feels weird, yet it offers the perfect photographic opportunity. You will undoubtedly encounter fellow tourists, so you may need to queue briefly for your perfect photograph, but it's worth the wait. Just a two-minute walk away sits the fantastic Jigger Inn pub, which was our next port of call for some well-earned food.

Dating back to the 1850s, the Jigger Inn is a cosy, welcoming pub with roaring fires that gazes out over the golf course. There is a superb selection of drinks at the bar, or you can settle in and order from the menu, which is exactly what we did.

Nobody will ever convince me there is a better combination than a caesar salad, chips and wine, and the Jigger Inn delivered all three perfectly.

Suitably refreshed and fed, it was time to explore the town itself. It is not the largest, with most shops and attractions concentrated along roughly three main streets, yet you could quite easily wander around for hours without ever feeling bored.

St Andrews is a genuinely remarkable place, with its medieval heritage unmistakably visible as you stroll through its streets. The university began teaching in 1413, which is extraordinary to contemplate, particularly given that it remains a thriving academic institution to this day.

There is no arguing that this is an exceptionally affluent area. Students from across the globe descend here to study, and its multiculturalism only adds to its charm. It's also famously the place where William and Catherine first met and fell in love.

One of the main attractions are the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, located close to the waterfront. It was built in 1158, and was once the largest church in Scotland. Not much survives of it now, and it has been converted into a graveyard.

Sadly, there was ring fencing surrounding many graves due to possible structural concerns, but it's still an atmospheric yet captivating place to explore.

There's so much going on in St Andrews that you nearly overlook the sea being right there. Just beyond the Old Course lies the celebrated West Sands Beach, which actually appeared in that memorable scene at the start of Chariots of Fire.

If the weather had been a little better, this would have been the perfect location for a walk, but the wind was battering us from side to side so we opted to retreat into the shelter of the town centre.

St Andrews is brimming with superb shops, from high street names such as H&M and Jo Malone to independent boutiques and spots that you won't encounter elsewhere. As a passionate reader, I was keen to visit Topping and Company, a family-run bookseller with a small number of branches across the UK.

The team were friendly and helpful, and the range of books available were outstanding. There was a whole table of signed first editions at the entrance of the shop, and the shelves appeared to extend upwards and deeper into the premises for what seemed like miles.

It's the kind of place where you could easily lose track of time perusing the shelves - and spend a lot of money. Thankfully, I succeeded in restricting myself to just one purchase, which required a lot of willpower.

There was just one final destination on our itinerary, and if you have a sweet tooth, you'll want to learn about it.

A visit to St Andrews wouldn't be properly rounded off without popping into Fisher and Donaldson. Established in Fife in 1919, this family-operated bakery has earned its reputation for one product above all others: its fudge doughnuts.

Considered the best in Scotland, these decadent treats are packed with fresh custard and crowned with an irresistible fudge topping.

While other pastries and biscuits are on offer, the fudge doughnut beats everything else. We brought several home to enjoy with a coffee afterwards, and unsurprisingly, they didn't last long.

St Andrews is just a charming location to spend the day or the weekend if you want a more relaxed pace. It's great whatever the conditions, though I'm keen to revisit during the summer months when temperatures are consistently better.