St Andrews

Collective Training Outdoor Activities in St Andrews and Fife

At Collective Training, we pride ourselves in providing an extremely high standard of professional, accredited training, whatever activity you choose to do with us.

Collective Instructors and Trainers are picked for their skills, knowledge and experience in their respective areas, meaning you can be sure of a safe, informative and fun day out!  We are based in NE Fife, near the famous town of St Andrews and know the area very well, meaning we can match an activity to your itinerary, whatever that might be.

 Road Cycling, Mountain Biking, Open Canoeing, Dinghy Sailing, Yacht Sailing

Road cycling around the East Neuk of Fife

The area surrounding St Andrews is full of quiet lanes and cycling routes allowing you to ride to your heart’s content with very little traffic interruption.  An excellent sunshine record coupled with superb views over both the Tay and Forth Estuaries make cycling here a real pleasure.  A guided route can be chosen to suit for all ages and abilities and be as long as you like; from a couple of hour’s gentle spin, to an all day exploration.  Stopping in some excellent eateries on the way!

If you are new to road cycling, let us help you gain confidence with some gentle coaching on the way.  Feel free and relaxed on quiet roads, rather than stressed by a strange bike with thin tyres!  Or if you are a seasoned cyclist, let us guide you around some amazing loops of varying distance with as many hills as you'd like to take on, or avoid!

Bike hire can be easily arranged from St Andrews and we can provide transport for up to four riders and bikes if you'd like to start from another location.  How about trying the famous Etape Caledonia route in Highland Perthshire?  Approximately 1 1/2 hours away by car.

Prices for road cycling start at £40/person/day based on 3 people in a group.  Why not get in touch to discuss what type of cyclist you are and where you'd like to ride while you are in Fife?! 

Mountain Biking in Fife

Fife has many great locations for mountain biking ranging from flat forest tracks where you can gain confidence to gnarly down hill runs where you can scare yourself if you so desire!  The area near St Andrews in the East of Fife has great riding for all the family in Tentsmuir Forest and also the possibility of a big day out on the Fife Coastal Path for the more experienced and fit mountain biker.

The Fife Coastal Path is a well known and excellent walking route that runs from just west of the Forth Road Bridge in the South of Fife, to the Tay Road Bridge in the North of the Kingdom.  Stretching 150Kms in total, it also makes for some excellent mountain biking and is a route that lends itself to beginners and enthusiasts alike.  Beginners will find the flat paths of Tentsmuir Forest a great place to gain confidence, while our tip for keen riders is the section from Lower Largo to Crail on the Forth Estuary.

If you'd like some Mtb coaching to help you gain confidence with the gears, or move up a gear and progress, we can provide that too.  Maybe you're finding that your kids are leaving you behind?  A few tips can go a long way to improving your enjoyment and skills!

Mountain Bike Hire can be arranged from St Andrews and we can provide transport for up to 4 bikes and riders to help you get to the best locations in the area. 

Prices for Mountain Biking start at £30/person/half day based on 3 people in a group.  Why not get in touch to discuss what type of riding you'd like to do while you are in Fife?!

Open Canoeing in Fife

The shelter of St Andrews Bay makes a great place to try Open or 'Canadian' Canoeing for the first time on a calm day.  Suitable for reasonably active people with a sense of adventure, Canoeing is an excellent activity for all the family and with our expert tuition you'll soon find your sea legs and the freedom that this gentle activity brings. 

More experienced paddlers might like to try a trip down the coast, under the high cliffs to the South East of the Town towards the beautiful Kingsbarns Beach or around the coast of the town itself, gaining an unusual view of the castle.  Again, an activity for a calm day as the full expanse of the North Sea stretches out to the East as far as the eye can see!

An alternative to paddling from St Andrews is a trip down the Tay, Scotland’s longest river.  This is an excellent trip in open canoes for more experienced paddlers.  With easily accessible access points at various locations, the length of trip can be easily varied to suit.  Starting at the very top of the estuary, near where the rivers Tay and Earn meet, you paddle through some fantastic scenery with ruined castles, and Britain’s longest Reed beds which are home to 1000's of seabirds.  Seals and occasionally dolphins can also be seen in the river, adding to the natural treats in store! 

Prices start from £300 per day for a group of 6 on a trip down the River Tay, with prices for learners varying according to numbers.  Why not get in touch and enquire about starting your voyage!

Dinghy Sailing in Fife

Fife's Lochore Meadows Country Park provides the perfect place to learn to sail a dinghy in the safety of the Loch.  Excellent facilities including warm showers help make the learning process easy, especially the capsize drill!

We can run any of our Level 1 - Level 3 dinghy sailing courses at Lochore Meadows as well as taster sessions if you just want to try it out for the first time.  We can provide transport for up to 4 people to the centre, arrange for hire of the boats and equipment and provide the training.  You'll just need a change of clothes and some shoes to get wet in!

Prices start from £80/half day for a group of 4 on a taster session, with prices for further courses varying according to numbers.  Why not get in touch and take the first steps towards a life afloat!

Sailing a yacht in the Forth Estuary

The Forth Estuary is a fantastic place to sail and the East Neuk town of Anstruther is ideally placed to get you right out into it.  Just a few miles to the South of St Andrews, Anstruther provides much easier access to a yacht with a marina that is accessible at almost all states of tide. With the Isle of May and Bass Rock both in the mouth of the Estuary, there are fantastic opportunities for viewing sea birds in their 1000’s. 

Our partners in yacht sailing, Edinburgh Boat Charters, will bring their new Bavaria 40 yacht, "Inspired Capital" to Anstruther, ready for your arrival.  Both complete beginners and experienced sailors will get a real taste of life on the ocean as the horizon stretches out into the distance, with a less often seen view of the famous Forth Bridges up river to the West.  A fantastic way to spend a day for both novices and salty sea dogs alike!  Combine your sail with a meal in the evening and make it a true day to remember.

 This can also be a great way to arrive or depart St Andrews; what better way to get a taste for the area than to sail down the coast between Anstruther and Queensferry under the Forth Bridge?!  Transfers to and from your accommodation can be arranged and your luggage can be transported too.

Prices vary according to itinerary and group size.  Why not get in touch to enquire about this once in a lifetime opportunity!