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Beaches
in Fife.

It’s 20:55 in Fife.
Fife

Sands, coves and rock pools.

Fife has a beach for every kind of day. There are long, wide sands where you can walk for miles with the wind in your face, including the beach from the opening of a famous film. There are little coves too, backed by dunes, where you might have the place to yourself. Some come with rock pools, a promenade and an ice cream on the way home, while others are best reached on foot along the coastal path. Bring a flask and a jumper, even in summer, check the tide if you're heading round the rocks, and finish with fish and chips in the nearest village.

Ruby Bay→
Burntisland Beach→
St Andrews West Sands→
Beach of the day18 hours ago

St Andrews West Sands.

Almost two miles of sand beside the golf links at St Andrews, where the opening of Chariots of Fire was filmed, backed by protected dunes.

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Free16 hours agoFifeSt Andrews West SandsAttractionFifeRuby BayAttractionFifeBurntisland BeachAttractionFifeLeven BeachAttraction

Free to visit.

Beaches, waterfalls, viewpoints and stones: nothing to pay and nobody to ask.

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From our guide13 hours ago

Chain Walk.

Make no mistake: this is not your average seaside stroll. Created by a local blacksmith back in 1929, this is Fife’s version of a via ferrata – a rocky, salty, chain-assisted clamber that stretches for nearly a third of a mile along the cliffs near Elie. It’s a serious undertaking, and you should leave yourself at least two hours to get from start to end. Be sure to check tide times – and remember to pack your head for heights.

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Lunch11 hours agoFifeThe Crusoe2.2 milesFifeThe Railway Inn2.2 milesFifeThe Mirador Café4.9 miles

Lunch near Leven Beach.

The three good places closest to it: The Crusoe, The Railway Inn and The Mirador Café.

See Leven Beach
From the magazine8 hours ago

The Ship Inn, on the quayside at Elie in Fife, has its own cricket team, and it plays its matches on the beach.

There is plenty to recommend the inn, in the former royal burgh of Elie, besides its cricketers. The food and drink menus showcase top Scottish produce, and the views out over the sea are huge. It is a lovely place to stay, too, with six guest rooms that are mighty appealing, and the pick of them is the Admiral Room on the top floor. Elie sits on the East Neuk of Fife, the stretch of coast laced together by the most scenic parts of the Fife Coastal Path.

See The Ship Inn, Elie · Fife
Stay6 hours agoFifeThe Crow’s Nest3.6 milesFifeThe Old Stable3.6 milesFifeFifies3.6 miles

Stay near Ruby Bay.

The three good places closest to it: The Crow’s Nest, The Old Stable and Fifies.

See Ruby Bay
From our guide3 hours ago

Elie Ness Lighthouse.

More than a century ago, the waters off Elie Ness could be a torrid place for sailors. In bad weather, the navigational lights on the islands of Inchkeith and the Isle of May became all but invisible in the gales and murk. A mainland beacon was needed, and so was born the solid crenelated bulk of Elie Ness Lighthouse. It’s been in place since 1908, and a small keeper’s cottage still stands alongside.

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From our guide1 hour ago

Lady’s Tower.

Naked sea-swimming was all the rage in the 1770s, particularly among the upper classes. So when Janet Fall – part of a wealthy local family and renowned for her beauty – decided decided she needed a place to preserve her modesty while undressing, this little stone tower was built above Ruby Bay. Now roofless, the bespoke changing room still gives deep views out to sea.

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BeachesJust now

Burntisland Beach.

A big sandy beach beside Burntisland on the Firth of Forth, with rock pools, lifeguards in summer and wide sands at low tide, next to the Links.

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