A Sunday Adventure to Tentsmuir Nature Reserve in Fife
To celebrate May arriving, today’s plan is to head to Tentsmuir Nature Reserve. Even though it’s May, we seem to be heading through another pesky cold snap so going to wrap up for the walk! I unpacked my winter woollies and headed out.
Tentsmuir can be accessed from Tayport near Dundee or Leuchars . As I have always approached from the Leuchars side and I am also joined by my friend Lucy today who grew up around Leuchars so we went for a trip down memory lane on the way! I have a major soft spot for St Andrews too (which is closer to Leuchars then Tayport) and the plan is to head there afterwards for an Ice Cream from the delicious Janettas.
It only takes around 45 minutes to get to the car park from Perth. There is a £2 charge to get through the barrier into the car park where there are facilities to have a picnic and BBQ plus there are public loos. There are many routes through the forest to take aside from the main beach walk. Lots of info on the nature.scot website.
We decided to stick to the beach in the hope we will see some seals in the distance and maybe get some sun! The weather is dry but a wee bit chilly and not as windy a we thought it would be (YAY)!
It is busy today as it’s May bank holiday Monday tomorrow and everyone is taking full advantage of the fact that there is no rain and a wee bit of sun! There are families and pooches everywhere and everyone is on top form!
Off we went through the sand dunes with Mac charging off happily with his beloved tennis ball. We walked up the lovely sand, it was surprisingly warm with just a very slight breeze. After around 45 minutes to an hour we sat down and had our lunch. Joining us for lunch was a seal, out in the water looking for his lunch or just a grand spot to camp out on the sand and catch the rays. Further along in the distance was a group of seals sunbathing on the beach. As far back as I can remember there have always been seals on this beach but there seems to be less of them now (or maybe there was fine dining to be munched on out at sea that was more important than sunbathing today!) If we kept walking we would continue on the beach right round towards Tayport.
There is also the option to head back via the Forest but we stuck to the beach as there are heaps of shells on the beach we want to look at on the way back and oddly it’s less windy on the shore line then over at the trees!
We arrived back at the car with wet feet as there are some VERY boggy areas between the dunes and the car park due to the recent rain. We ended up on the wrong track with some pretty deep puddles on the way back to the car (bringing spare socks and shoes was a fabulous move)!
After our walk, we headed out and toward St Andrews. As it was bank holiday weekend St Andrews was gridlocked with traffic. The queues at Jenetta’s ice cream were huge so we decided to head back out and go to Balgove Larder – the beautiful farm shop as you head out toward Guardbridge. They sell lovely home baking in their cafe, local produce and one of the biggest selection of Gins and Spirits I have seen in a long time. There is also a butcher/deli counter and a gift area. Lucy and I treated ourselves to a delicious ‘Luvians’ ice cream (originally from Cupar in Fife) and sat outside to admire the view!
I love visiting this area, many happy childhood memories spent in and around St Andrews. There are so many activities and things to see in and around the area. From playing your perfect round of gold on The Old Course to Blown Away Experiences (often seen down on the West Sands beach at St andrews) They offer Landyachting, Kayaking, Surfing to name but a few outdoor activities. For a calmer experience – visit St Andrews Botanical Gardens and enjoy some horticultural treats! St Andrews itself is teeming with history and culture, it’s always a pleasure to walk around and look at the buildings. Just outside St Andrews at Guardbridge, there is the fab Eden Mill Distillery. They are currently building their new facility so there are no tours or tastings currently but there is a gift shop to visit. Further afield there are many places to visit – Crail, Anstruther, Pitenweem to name but a few. Here is the VistScotland link to Tentsmuir and surrounding area, it has some really useful information and a list of activities in the area too.
It really is a beautiful and interesting area. Book up one of fab properties and experience it for yourself at Click Book Stay.