Castle Sands

The beach at Castle Sands, just a short walk from St Andrews town centre, is where locals actually go when they want sand and sea without the golf course crowds. It's a proper working beach - fishing boats still use it, which gives the whole place a slightly rougher, more authentic edge than you'd expect from a university town.

The beach itself is reasonably wide at low tide, with golden sand backed by stone walls and the occasional bit of rocky outcrop. On a decent day it's genuinely pleasant for a walk or a paddle. Don't expect the Mediterranean - this is Fife, so the water's cold and the sky can be moody - but that's rather the point. Families with younger kids can work the rock pools at the eastern end, and it's calm enough for a decent splash about in summer months.

What makes it worth the detour from St Andrews proper is precisely that it doesn't feel touristy. You can turn up whenever you fancy - no admission charges, no opening times nonsense. Allow an hour or two for a proper explore, longer if you're the type who enjoys sitting on a bench watching fishing folk go about their day.

If you're staying at any of the nearby parks - St Andrews Holiday Park, Cairnsmill, or Craigtoun Meadows - Castle Sands is a five-minute drive or fifteen-minute walk. It slots nicely into a day that includes the town's shops and restaurants, without feeling like part of the tourist machine. Worth it.