The 'Auld Grey Toun' has been ranked fourth in Coast magazine's Best Costal Towns list 2008, beaten only by Christchurch in Dorset, Falmouth in Cornwall and Brighton.

Clare Gogerty, editor of Coast magazine, reports that the list was compiled by "trawling] banks of official data to come up with the top 10 best coastal towns, rating them in terms of best schools, quality of coastline and employment."

Describing St Andrews as "a town that provides an instant lifestyle fantasy," the magazine focused on the cultural attractions, including the Byre Theatre and New Picture House.

It also praised good schools in the town as well as the landmark sites, including the Royal and Ancient Golf Clubhouse and the West Sands.

Edith Rendell, of St Andrews Merchants' Association, provided Coast with glowing praise for the town, stating: "It's a joy to live in, and the university keeps it alive."

However, while levels of crime and unemployment are low in St Andrews, the town loses out in terms of high house prices.

The magazine stated that St Andrews house prices averaged £223, 894 last summer, with larger townhouses ranging from £400,000 to £600,000 which ''testifies to its evergreen popularity."

Other towns included on the list were Grange-Over-Sands in Cumbria, Salcombe in South Devon, Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, Whitby in Yorkshire, Southwold in Suffolk and Tenby in Wales
The Top Ten Costal Towns feature appears in the June issue of Coast, available now.