Gorgeous. Perfect for the dug. Lovely views and not that busy. Beautiful! Go, go, go!read more

White sands that stretch for miles where the brave take a sim and the rest take a stroll…read more This beach was famously used for the running sequence in Chariots of Fire but every day you'll see joggers, strollers and even the occasional horse rider. It's somewhere I love to sit and just watch the tide ebb gently (even when the Open is on it is peaceful). Over the last few years the powers that be have introduced a natural habitat scheme where the sand dunes have been fenced off but they've done this sympathetically so it looks good. If you like a long walk stroll all the way to the words, if not, take off your shoes and try the North Sea. Yea it may be cold even in summer but it's the best (& free) pedicure you'll never have.

This place is fantastic for a sunny day out (if you're fortunate enough to catch one)…read more It's an unusual place to visit in that you have the combined attractions of forest walks with one of the longest beaches in Scotland (around 5 miles). There's also a large picnic table area which permits BBQ's, so you really could spend the whole day here. Access to the site is currently a very reasonable £2 per vehicle and there is plenty of parking as well as toilet facilities. If you've not been before, I'd definitely recommend it for a relaxing day trip!

Do you like exploring? Do you like beaches?…read more Then you will not be disappointed with Gullane Bents. It's a jewel amongst treasures. Recently I explored the coastline East of Edinburgh and I took the coastal road A198 to enjoy the views whilst driving. After having passed Gullane's Golf Course and just before I entered Gullane village I spotted a sign post pointing towards Gullane Bents. Being spontaneous, I thought I check it out. There is a car park which charges during the summer period, but for now it's free. You enter the area walking down a slight hill towards the sandy beach. The views are amazing and you can walk for ages surrounded by all the beauty the earth has to offer. TIP for all the dater's amongst us: Take your person of interest there and they will love it. Just make sure they like fresh air and the outdoors! :-)

Ever wondered how Edinburgh looks from the outside?…read more Well, one place to view the glorious city of Edinburgh is from Silver Sands in Aberdour. Silver Sands is both a beach and a park. The beach, accessed via a very steep road, is, apart from St. Andrews one of the most well known and most visited beaches in Fife! It even has been awarded a blue flag for its qualities! A word of warning though, even on a warm day, the water is still freezing cold, so best advice is to stay on the beach! The park surrounds the beach and is very large in comparison. It has plenty of car parking spaces and has many sporting facilities. It has enough grassy areas for football or other field sports, a children's play area and plenty of cycle paths. Usually on a sunny day there is an ice cream van, or it is only a few minutes walk to the high street for some snacks! However, the main attraction of Silver Sands is its magnificent views of Edinburgh. Arthur's seat and the crags dominate the skyline. Also, the sheer size of Edinburgh is quite surprising, as when in the city it does not feel that big. Silver Sands is an ideal place to chill in the hot summer and has one of the best views of Edinburgh!

Situated on the north side of the Forth estuary, Aberdour is well known forits castle and beaches,…read moremainly the Silver Sands, to the east. With the park between the beach and the town, parking is plentiful and beach access via a gentle path and some steps. The road from the town to the car park is almost flat, with plenty of cycle paths, walkways and sightseeing opportunities, including the walk round Hawkcraig point for the view onto Aberdour, to the west, and over to Inchcolm and the medieval Abbey. Further west rise the engineering wonders of the Forth road and rail bridges. To the south can be seen part of the expanse of Edinburgh with much of it hidden behind the bulks of Arthur's Seat, Castle rock, Clermiston hill etc. Beyond that can be seen the Pentland hills with the Hillend dry ski slope lit up like a Christmas tree at night. Central Edinburgh--the New Town and the Old Town have become surrounded by soul-less housing schemes but the historical character of the city is well worth exploring

We walked here from our AirBnB and it was a hike but there are tons of bus stops around, which we…read moretook back. A large expanse of a beach with restaurants around and tons of good sea shells and sea glass to choose from. Tons of dogs around so this is a good spot to come on a warm day for a picnic.

This used to be a real dirty and messy beach according to the locals, now the local council have…read morespecialist equipment to sift the beach of 70% of the rubbish left behind by the beach goers it is sad in a way as when you leave you see that the bins are half empty and the beach is full of rubbish at the end of the day. I saw a lot of nails and deadly spikes left behind by barbeques and people playing volley ball. This place gets real busy at the weekend, and warm days with cafe's nearby selling ice cream and cold drinks. Sadly there is nothing grand here as the tacky amusement arcade's have moved in.

On my hunt for beaches I encountered Elie, which was recommended to me by several of my work…read morecolleagues. There are several sandy beaches around Elie to enjoy. Some are more sheltered than others. Some of the beaches surround the small harbour making the location very idyllic. The waters are clear and locals definitely enjoy a puddle or two. You can walk out into the sea around 3 o'clock in the afternoon and enjoy the warmth (for some :-)) of the ocean. Nearby there is a facility where you can hire sailing boats or other means of water transport. It is ideal for children, especially the banana rides. If you need toilets, best you take the short cut through the water to get there, otherwise you walk longer than expected, from the harbour that is........... The beaches themselves are very clean and there are signs up indicating that dogs are not allowed. However, people do not take these signs very serious. At the same time people in Fife appear to tidy up behind dogs, what rarely happens in the city! A day trip out - definitely worth the drive!

The beach at Burntisland is one of the best in the entire Kingdom of Fife! The beach has been…read moreawarded Fife's 2010 Seaside award and a blue flag. I have been to this beach many times and it always seems clean to me. Furthermore, as I was walking along it today, I noticed that the beach even has a couple of lifeguards! A beach in Fife having lifeguards! It defiantly is not Bay Watch, but the fact this place has life guards shows you how good this beach has! The beach curves around the coast and it's sand is clean and white, and does not have lots of rubbish strewn all over it. It is very popular and was quite busy when I was there. With great views over to Edinburgh, this beach is a must, when visiting beaches in Fife!

Stopped by the beach a few weeks ago to see the raft race! It was really busy but looked spotless!…read moreGood entertainment on offer! Lots of lovely clean sand! Pitch and putt available too!! Would recommend a visit on a nice sunny day! You could also go for a nice walk on a cloudy day!!!

Every single person who lives in or visits Edinburgh should make an effort to go to North Berwick…read morefor a day trip. There is a bus every hour or so from the bus station or London Road and it takes the scenic route along the coast, weaving in and out of the nice twee villages that sit along the roadside. It takes about an hour to get there, and once you arrive there is plenty to do, from getting sand between your toes on the beach, to visiting the Scottish Seabird Centre, to getting Fish and Chips or a pint in the pub. There is a sweet wee museum and the public loos have won numerous loo of the year awards!!! It is the place to get a good look at the Bass Rock, begin or end a drive of the local countryside, or quite simply the place to head to on a sunny afternoon. Unmissable.

A wonderful, secluded beach just past Tantallon Castle as you head away from North Berwick. Not…read moreeasy to find but well worth the effort. A private road with an old sign will put most visitors off but if you persevere you'll see that it tells you about access to the beach and that it costs two Pounds. We drove down the well paved private road which then lead to an unpaved bumpy track and the access barrier. The barrier was up and the machine wouldn't accept our money so our visit was free. It then leads to a small car park and some pretty steep steps down to the beach: not ideal for anyone with mobility problems. The beach is amazing with a great view of Bass Rock and I'm told you can also see the Castle if you're prepared to clamber over some very slippery rocks. We weren't. We had the beach pretty much to ourselves for about half an hour although it was a weekday in May.

Seacliff beach is great. It's not far from Edinburgh so pretty easy to get to by car, just remember…read moreto take a few pound coins as you need to pay to get through the barrier (£3 at time of writing this review). Like any costal location it's constantly changing so it's great for photographers. If you've got a young family it's a good place to go too, what with the wide expansive sandy shoreline. As well as a tiny wee harbour (smallest in Scotland I believe) it's also got nice views out towards the Bass Rock and Tantallon Castle just to the west. I like it due to the lack of light pollution at night. Great for viewing stars on a clear evening, or if you're very lucky even the Aurora (see attached images). Don / www.edinburghphotowalks.com