Author Archives: manonabeach

About manonabeach

On a beach…welcome to manonabeach.com, where I’ll regularly add video of my beach visits, so you can enjoy a flavour of the beach, even when you’re not there.

Elie Harbour

Season: summer

Elie Harbour was full of dinghies, speed boats, wind surfers and rowing boats for this summer visit. Blue sky and warm sunshine greeted late morning arrivals to this idyllic scene. Half a rising tide covered the flat, golden sand in front of The Ship Inn and children were tombstoning from the end of the harbour. On the side beach, deckchairs, rugs and beach games decorated the space in front of the dunes.

John’s appreciation of beaches near and far, including the elemental appeal of being by the water.

A seaside idyll in the summer.

Season: winter

The sea comes right up to the town at high tide here, but on a low tide the beach joins to Earlsferry, enabling almost a mile’s walk on golden sand. Elie has a great sense of history, being a former royal burgh, with all the facilities you’ll need readily to hand, including cafes, bars and even beach cricket. The water sports here benefit from a sailing club and you can hire all the equipment you need to get onto the water.

The beach as a restorative tonic for Susan.

Snowy conditions at Elie Harbour beach.

Arisaig

Season: summer

Arisaig sits on the West Highland Railway line between Fort William and Mallaig. It’s one of the most attractive train lines in the country and features the steam train “The Jacobite”, so this is a great way to access the village and its beaches, although the “Road to the Isles” is also stunningly scenic. Arisaig is at the southern end of a string of idyllic beaches that run down from south of Mallaig. The Sound of Arisaig is a popular sea kayaking destination from here, with safe water and access to the many islands and skerries, as well as offering a chance to spot dolphins, basking sharks and the occasional minke whale. In short, it’s a wildlife treasure trove.

Different uses for the beach and where it leads.

The tranquility of Arisaig in the morning.

Lyme Regis

Season: spring

Fine weather and blue skies greeted me at Lyme Regis. The morning was quiet and the bay was still, yet the sea relentlessly turned the stones and pebbles on the shingle beach, as always. The sun in the east shed clear light onto the attractive beach huts along the seafront and the character cottages behind, with their ornate lamp posts over the promenade. There’s a pleasing arc as you walk round to The Cobb; it’s a fine place to start the day.

A bright start to the day for Judith at Lyme Regis.

A view of the bay from the sea wall.

Season: autumn

Lyme Regis has breathtaking scenery, making it an appealing resort to visit at any time of the year. Its historic Cobb and the harbour are striking features, set below moody blue cliffs that yield fossilised evidence of life on earth millions of years ago. The town featured in the Domesday Book and is home to a number of historical landmarks and educational attractions. As well as providing the inspiration for Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the harbour featured in film adaptations of John Fowles’ French Lieutenant’s Woman and Jane Austen’s Persuasion, as well as Ammonite, about the fossil hunter Mary Anning. From the watermill, which dates all the way back to the 14^th century, to the beautiful St Michael’s Church and the Lepers’ Well, there’s plenty to see and enjoy here, whatever your interest. There’s a strong literary community in Lyme, as well as the vibrant Marine Theatre.

The freedom of the beach for Lucy.

A fine, bright morning at Lyme Regis.

Season: spring

It was a blustery day for this seasonal visit, with morning mist hanging heavily over the Jurassic Coast’s cliffs at the eastern end of Lyme Bay. This town has a fine mixture of natural beauty, with its arcing beach and stylish terraces by the beach, not forgetting The Cobb, which shelters the marina and fishing boats. Despite the mixed weather, on this occasion plenty of visitors were already thronging Lyme’s High Street, from fossil hunters to school trips and those drawn to the beach itself.

A subconscious attraction to the beach.