It's the east coast Fife town that is the home of golf and host to the third oldest university in the English-speaking world.

Now St Andrews has been named Scotland's best seaside destination and one of the five best in the UK in a study of the nation’s favourite resorts.

The customer satisfaction survey of more than 4,000 people ranked nearly 100 towns and villages, with two Scottish resorts in the top ten.

St Andrews took the title of Scotland's best beach town with a customer score of 83% and a five star rating for its tourist attractions.

North Berwick in East Lothian was the second best Scots seaside destination and equal fifth with Rye in East Sussex across the UK with an 81% rating in the study carried out by the consumer organisation Which?.

With more people expected to book a Staycation holiday in Britain this summer than ever before as a result of the pandemic, the study sought out views on Britain’s coastal towns and villages with customers judging them based on quality of beaches, seafronts, food and drink, tourist attractions, scenery, shopping, entertainment, peace and quiet, and value for money.

READ MORE: Haste ye back: Six things to do in St Andrews after the lockdown

St Andrews, which was judged by consumers to be the third best seaside destination across the UK will be next year's host of the 150th Open, the oldest golf tournament in the world. It will be staged on the Old Course, regarded as the oldest golf course in the world.

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According to Trip Advisor, the town's top five attractions are the Eden Mill distillery, West Sands beach, St Andrews Cathedral, the Swilcan Bridge which spans the first and 18th fairways on the Old Course, and Craigtoun Country Park.

Which said: "World famous golf courses and medieval tours are among the wealth of tourist attractions St Andrews has to offer.

"Busier than some of the other destinations at the top of the table, the 'home of golf' earned its high ranking perhaps thanks to its five-star rated tourist attractions as well as its shopping options, which received four stars," said the consumer organisation. "It also received four stars for beaches and value for money. Those looking to beat the crowds were advised by respondents to visit outside of term time, when fewer students of its famous university are around."

Bamburgh in Northumberland was named Britain’s best seaside destination, receiving a customer score of 85 per cent, and five stars for its beaches, tourist attractions and scenery. It received an additional five stars for value for money, with prices for accommodation being half those of some popular spots in Cornwall. Tynemouth, in Tyne & Wear, took joint second place in the UK alongside Dartmouth in Devon. Both received a visitor score of 84 per cent, and five stars for their seafronts, while Tynemouth was given five stars for its beach and seafront, and four stars for scenery.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Many of us discovered the joy of a British summer holiday last year and the trend looks set to continue well into this summer. The results of our survey show that bigger is rarely better, with smaller and less crowded resorts taking the top spots over better-known destinations.

“Given the crowds and prices at some of Britain’s most popular seaside destinations, the best news from the survey is just how many highly-rated destinations we have to choose from. Whether you want a village with a beach or a big town with all the fish and chips you can eat, there is a fantastic spot by the sea for you. “Do your research and look beyond the big name destinations - and most importantly, book with a reputable provider with a generous flexible booking policy.”

Ullapool in Ross and Cromarty got a 78% rating in the survey while Oban received a 72% score.

Which said that the good news is that this year’s survey of the best seaside towns and villages shows there is room on our coast for us all to find a quiet corner.

Visitors rated nearly 60 British seaside destinations at 70 per cent or above, while 30 were awarded four or five stars for peace and quiet.

At the other end of the UK table, with a customer score of 48 per cent, was Skegness.

The seaside town was also rated bottom by visitors last year, but Which said its score has improved slightly as a result of investment and refurbishment in the town centre and higher footfall, with more people holidaying in Great Britain than abroad last summer.

And while it only received one star for its tourist attractions and scenery, its beach was still given three stars.

Other destinations at the bottom end of the table included Weston-Super-Mare (55%) and Ilfracombe (56%).