'Kith' is an old Scots word for the people and places that feel like home, which sets the tone rather nicely. This shiny boutique hotel is in the middle of St Andrews, the medieval university town that gave the world golf, and it wears its heritage lightly. Behind three restored 1847 facades you'll find 44 design-forward rooms, a chef-led restaurant the locals have already adopted, and a front door barely 200 yards from the Old Course's 18th green. Elegant without being stuffy, it's equally happy hosting golfers, visiting parents and anyone after a smart Scottish weekend. Dogs are welcome, too.
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Three 1847 townhouses, originally the work of local architect George Rae, now hold a maze of light-filled rooms and deliberately dark, cocooning corridors. A red marble reception desk sets the tone, hand-painted signage (courtesy of a local signwriter) points the way, and Scottish artists line the walls. The beating heart is Bennie's, a bar and restaurant with its own street entrance, timber-panelled snugs and a south-facing terrace tangled with honeysuckle and yew. Locals wander in for supper here, not just residents. That tells you plenty.
44 bedrooms climb through four grades, from snug Cosy doubles to the roomy Suites up top. Expect oak and herringbone floors, plush rugs, bespoke dressing tables and bathrooms clad in terrazzo-look Italian stone tiles with brushed-black taps and rainfall showers. The Suites are where the building shows off: original cornicing, restored timber panelling and a free-standing bath tucked into a bay window with the sea and the Old Course beyond. Soak, watch the golf, repeat. The Cosy rooms trade square footage for a spot in the thick of it.
Golf is the obvious draw, and you're a short iron from the Old Course, with the New, Jubilee, Eden and Castle courses in town and Kingsbarns and Carnoustie a drive away. But St Andrews rewards the club-averse too. Wander the cathedral and castle ruins, poke around the British Golf Museum, or stride the West Sands (yes, the Chariots of Fire beach) into the wind. Further out, the East Neuk fishing villages dish up harbours and langoustines, and boats chug from Anstruther to the puffins of the Isle of May.
Bennie's, the hotel's restaurant, takes its name and spirit from Margaret Bennie's handwritten 1921 recipe book. The cooking is generous, seasonal and truly Scottish, and the whole town seems to know it.
Golfers, take note: breakfast kicks off at 6am so you can fuel up before an early tee time, and there's secure storage with drying racks for soggy shoes and waterproofs. They'll even ship your clubs ahead.
The entry-level Cosy rooms are quite snug, which is no bother if you're out on the fairways all day. There's no lift, spa or pool either. This is a base for exploring, not hibernating.
Start with a recommended trip or create one from scratch
The Kithmore can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made UK trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended UK trips featuring The Kithmore or get advice and suggestions from one of our UK specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.
Stays at The Kithmore start from around $280, or US$280, per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.
The undisputed Home of Golf and Scotland's oldest university, all within a cobbled square mile.
