Season: summer
A quiet, misty morning greeted me for this summer visit. The early morning beach was quiet, despite the Women’s Open having just finished at the home of golf next to the beach. The wide expanse of sand here is liberating to the senses, with the horizon fusing into the sea on such a morning as this. Waves lapped the shore gently, as the town of St Andrews started to wake up for another day. The dunes at West Sands are part of the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary Special Area of Conservation. As well as protecting the golf course and the town from the sea, they support many important animal and plant species.
What this beach means to Alan.
A quiet start to the day at West Sands.
The beach as part of Susan’s routine.
Season: winter
This is the beach used in the opening sequence of “Chariots of Fire”. There’s plenty of space here on the sand, with almost two miles of beach backed by sand dunes and the world famous St Andrews golf course. The town of St Andrews is well worth a visit; you can see the ruined cathedral on the high ground too. It is a university town, with excellent cafes and restaurants, all a ten minute walk from the beach.
Jen’s affection for St Andrews ahead of a special day.
A view from the dunes at West Sands.
Looking back from the water’s edge on the expansive West Sands at St Andrews.
This beach in the summer means families together, building sandcastles and paddling in the water. When it’s quiet, it’s lovely and peaceful, to walk along the water’s edge. Of course, this is the beach where one cold February morning, I watched the filming of the opening sequence for “Chariots of Fire”. Then there’s the pleasure of walking on the beach next to the golf courses, watching golfers on the greens.
The beach is an escape for me. It is a place I go at least 4 times a week to walk my dog and clear my head. It never fails to astound me how much beauty can be found in one place and is different every time you visit. It can be the breath taking sunset or sunrise, the calmness or turmoil of the water or just a simple conversation you’ll have with a stranger which will undoubtedly happen when walking on a beach in Scotland. The best feeling in the world for me is being on a beach feeling the sun on your skin and listening to the waves gently lapping at the shore, nothing else can make me feel more relaxed.