Broughty Ferry to Monifieth – The Shore Path Along the Tay
About 5 miles on foot.
A wide new path runs along the shore of the Tay from Broughty Castle to Monifieth, with the beach and its dunes on one side and Fife across the water.
It's 2.5 miles each way and dead level, so it suits a pushchair or a wheelchair as well as a pair of boots. Walk it there and back, then have lunch at Bruach in Broughty Ferry.
- Time
- About two hours' walking: 2.5 miles each way along the shore, level and surfaced.
- The path
- Wide, level and surfaced the whole way, built for wheelchairs and pushchairs as well as walkers and bikes.
- Where to start
- The free car park on Castle Lane, beside Broughty Castle.
- When to go
- All year. The path is level, surfaced and lit, so it's a good one for winter. From November to January set off by 1pm to walk both ways in daylight.
- Dogs
- On a lead beside the cyclists.
- Children
- Level and traffic-free, with the beach beside the first stretch; watch for bikes.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets on Castle Green, by the start.
- Before you set out
- The path is shared with cyclists.
The walk
Park in the free car park on Castle Lane, beside Broughty Castle. There are free public toilets close by on Castle Green. The shore path sets off east from the castle and runs for 2.5 miles along the edge of the Tay to Monifieth railway station. It opened in May 2024 and it's wide, level and surfaced the whole way, with lights and seats along it.
It was built for bikes and wheelchairs as well as walkers, so keep to one side and expect cyclists. Broughty Ferry's long sandy beach is beside you at the start, with boardwalks through the dunes down to the sand. Tayport sits straight across the water on the Fife shore. Further on, the path crosses the Dighty Water where it runs out into the firth, and Monifieth's sands open up ahead.
Allow about an hour each way, so two hours for the 5 miles there and back, with no climb at all. Monifieth station is on the line back through Broughty Ferry, so you can walk one way and ride the other if you look up the trains before you set off. The castle you start beside is a tower of about 1495 that was later rebuilt as a fort to guard the river mouth, and it's now a museum. From November to January, set off by 1pm.
If it rains
The shore is open to the wind and there's no shelter between the two towns. On a wet day walk as far as the end of Broughty Ferry's beach and back, about half an hour, and go for lunch early.
Afterwards
8 min on foot
Bruach Bar
Lunch
Lunch is at Bruach, a family-owned bar and restaurant at 326 Brook Street, about 8 minutes' walk from the castle car park through the old fishing village. It's open every day from 10am, with brunch from then, lunch from noon to 3pm and an all-day menu from noon to 9pm. You can book a table on its website. If it's full, Gracie's, a café further along Brook Street, is open every day from 9am to 5pm.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Airdit, 7 miles away. Sleeps 2; next free Sun 25 Oct to Tue 27 Oct.
Then Guardswell Farm in Inchture, 13 miles away. Sleeps 10.
Where to eat
Bruach Bar, bar and restaurant, Broughty Ferry.
Gracie’s, café bistro, Broughty Ferry.
For further reading, before you go.