Tentsmuir lies on the north-east corner of Fife between the mouths of the Eden and the Tay, about eleven kilometres north of St Andrews, and it is one of the finest nature reserves in Scotland.
It combines three things in one place: a large pine forest, an extensive dune system, and a beach that is measured in kilometres.
Tentsmuir is unusual in Britain in that the coastline here is advancing, not retreating.
Sand carried by currents in the Tay estuary is being deposited faster than the sea takes it, and the shoreline has moved seaward by hundreds of metres over the past century. A line of concrete anti-tank blocks, built in 1941 along what was then the beach, now stands well inland among the dunes — the clearest possible demonstration of how far the land has come out.
Walking past them and out to the current shore is a lesson in coastal geomorphology that requires no explanation at all.
Seals are the reason many people come. Both grey and common seals haul out on the sandbanks at Tentsmuir Point in numbers — several hundred at times, and occasionally well over a thousand. They are best seen at low tide from the beach, at a distance.
Do not approach them. Disturbance causes them to stampede into the water, and pups get crushed. Binoculars, not a closer walk.
Birds — this is a major site. Wintering wildfowl and waders in large numbers on the estuaries, eider, scoter and long-tailed duck offshore, terns breeding, and raptors over the dunes.
Red squirrels and roe deer in the forest, and butterflies and orchids in the dune slacks.
Cycling is one of the best things here. A network of flat, hard forest tracks runs through the woods to the beach, and the reserve is genuinely excellent for family cycling — level, traffic-free and ending at the sea.
Walking — waymarked trails through the forest, along the dune edge and out to Tentsmuir Point.
Bird hides, including one at Morton Lochs, the freshwater part of the reserve, which is a separate and quieter site.
The beach — enormous, sandy and generally almost empty, which after West Sands in August is a considerable relief.
Rangers are often on site and are, by consistent report, friendly and informative.
A history trail covers the wartime defences, the ice house and the reserve’s past.
Free reserve; parking charged at the Kinshaldy car park, which is the main access.
Time: two hours to a full day.
Facilities: toilets and picnic areas at Kinshaldy. No café — bring what you need. Tayport and Leuchars are the nearest supplies.
Access: the main forest tracks are hard-surfaced and level, and are among the more accessible woodland routes in Fife. The dunes and beach are not.
Dogs: welcome, but must be kept well away from the seals and off the tern breeding areas in season, which are marked.
Midges and ticks: present in the forest in summer. Check afterwards.
Kinshaldy, signposted from Leuchars on the A919, about twenty minutes from St Andrews by road.
By bike from St Andrews it is a good ride of about fifteen kilometres via Guardbridge and Leuchars.
Leuchars station is on the Edinburgh–Dundee line and is about six kilometres from the reserve entrance.
Yes — grey and common seals haul out in large numbers at Tentsmuir Point, best seen at low tide from a distance. Do not approach them.
Anti-tank defences built along the beach in 1941. The coast has since advanced seaward, leaving them stranded among the dunes.
Yes, very — flat, hard-surfaced forest tracks running through the woods to the beach, ideal for families.
No. There are toilets and picnic areas at Kinshaldy, but bring your own food.
About eleven kilometres north, or twenty minutes by road via Leuchars.