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Elie harbour from the air at low tide, small boats resting on the sand below the old granary on the pier, Elie Ness lighthouse on its point beyond.
Fife

Elie and Earlsferry

Two villages round one wide sandy bay on the East Neuk of Fife, with a harbour and its old granary, Ruby Bay and Lady's Tower, joined as one since 1929.

Welcome

Elie and Earlsferry are two villages that run together round one wide, sandy bay on the south coast of the East Neuk of Fife, and they make a lovely place to spend a day by the sea.

Earlsferry was a ferry port for crossings to North Berwick for centuries, and the two have been formally joined since 1929. At low tide the beach at Elie Harbour links with Earlsferry's to give almost a mile of golden sand, and the sheltered bay is good for beginners trying windsurfing or canoeing. The old granary stands by the harbour wall, now converted, and the Ship Inn looks out over the beach. Walk east to Ruby Bay, where Lady's Tower stands on the rocks below Elie Ness lighthouse, or head west for the Elie Chain Walk at the foot of the Kincraig cliffs. There are toilets, lifeguards in season and parking at the harbour, so it's an easy day out for the whole family.

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The Daily for 11 November, from Scotland with love. The broken stone walls of a lochside castle rise from a small tree-covered island, autumn foliage glowing orange against the dark water and forested hillside beyond.

Before you go

A village to wander at any time, with the beach right in front of it.

Where
On the south coast of the East Neuk of Fife, between Kincraig Point and St Monans.
The beach
At low tide, almost a mile of sand from Elie Harbour to Earlsferry, with seasonal RNLI lifeguards.
On the water
The sheltered bay is good for beginners at windsurfing, canoeing and water skiing.
Toilets
At the harbour, open in season.
Award
Elie Harbour beach holds a Keep Scotland Beautiful Scotland's Beach Award for 2026.

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Did you know

A ruined stone tower with an arched doorway stands on a mossy, rocky headland above the sea.
Did you know

A lady's bathing house.

Lady's Tower on the rocks at Ruby Bay was built in the 1770s as a changing room for Lady Janet Anstruther of Elie House, who liked to swim in the sea in private.

A curved sandy bay is fringed by dunes and marram grass, waves breaking gently against rocks at one end.
Did you know

Rubies on the beach.

Ruby Bay takes its name from Elie Rubies, which are really a kind of garnet, and they are still sometimes found on the shore.

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Where it is

On the south coast of the East Neuk of Fife, round the bay between Kincraig Point and Elie Ness.

Close byElie and Earlsferry.
  1. Whole lobsters arranged on a metal platter with salad leaves and grilled lemon halvesThe Pavilion, ElieA family-run cafe beside the golf course and tennis courts at Earlsferry, near Elie beach, open all year and into the evening in summer.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. The Ship Inn, ElieThe Ship Inn, ElieA harbour-side pub, restaurant and inn overlooking the beach at Elie, famous for the cricket team that plays on the sands.Under a mile as the crow flies
  3. Curved sandy beach edged by grassy dunes under a grey overcast skyRuby BayA small sandy bay backed by dunes at Elie in the East Neuk of Fife, named for the gems once found on it, between Lady's Tower and Elie Ness lighthouse.Under a mile as the crow flies
  4. Elie Ness LighthouseElie Ness LighthouseA small white lighthouse of 1908 on the grassy point of Elie Ness in the East Neuk of Fife, above the sandy curve of Ruby Bay.Under a mile as the crow flies
  5. Lady’s Tower, Ruby BayLady’s Tower, Ruby BayA ruined stone tower on the rocks above Ruby Bay near Elie, built in the 1700s as a bathing house for Lady Janet Anstruther.Under a mile as the crow flies
  6. The Kinneuchar InnThe Kinneuchar InnA 17th-century village inn at Kilconquhar, near Elie, with a daily menu from the Balcaskie Estate and a place in the Michelin Guide every year since it reopened.1 mile as the crow flies
  7. Climber in red jacket scales a rope through a narrow rocky gorgeElie Chain WalkA thrilling scramble along the foot of the Kincraig cliffs near Elie, with eight fixed chains and steps cut in the volcanic rock, passable only near low tide.2 miles as the crow flies
  8. St Monans Tidal Pool full and still on a bright day, its concrete wall running out across the rocks, two swimmers far off and the windmill on the bank above.St Monans Tidal PoolA 1930s sea pool cut into the rocks on the shore at St Monans, filled by the tide, with the old windmill above it on the Fife Coastal Path.3 miles as the crow flies
Directions
Hand carries a crate of loaf cakes and lidded jars outdoorsAttractionsArdross Farm Shop1.3 miles
Diners sit under a covered pergola beside barrel tables outside a caféCafeThe Mirador Café1.4 miles
Stone courtyard buildings with EB signage and dark timber doors under grey skyShoppingBowhouse2.0 miles
Bar interior with "Bottled Ales & Stout" sign and colourful Beatles artworkShoppingFuttle2.0 miles
Bàern Cafe, FifeCafeBàern Cafe2.0 miles
Stone church with conical spire overlooking gravestones and the coastlineAttractionsSt Monans Auld Kirk2.3 miles
The front of Craig Millar @ 16 West End in St Monans: its sign above white-framed windows hung with flower baskets, behind a whitewashed wall.RestaurantsCraig Millar @ 16 West End2.4 miles
White boat planted with flowers outside St Monans Welly Boot GardenAttractionsSt Monans Welly Boot Garden2.5 miles
White harbourside houses along a curved stone wall above the waterAttractionsSt Monans2.5 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the village, and when each is next free.

An orange leather sofa draped with a sheepskin faces a stone fireplace beneath a timber ceiling, a staircase rising behind.The Old Stable
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 4 miles from Elie
Free 14–16 NovThe Crow’s Nest, FifeThe Crow’s Nest
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Pittenweem
  • 4 miles from Elie
Free 16–19 NovFifies, FifeFifies
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 4 miles from Elie
Free 15–17 NovA stone cottage with red pantiled roofs and a gabled dormer sits behind a gravel courtyard, an apple tree in the foreground.Maybell Cottage
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 4 miles from Elie
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in FifeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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