‘The beach for me is home. It’s renewal’ - author Ian Brighouse on some of Scotland's greatest beaches

Scotland is blessed with many spectacular beaches and in The British Beach Guide, Ian Brighouse celebrates many of the best. In this extract, he notes some East Coast favourites

Ian Brigstock is manonabeach.com and his latest book collects his reflections and opinions on 130 of Britain's beaches, celebrating our island nation and the unique place where the land, sky and sea meet. Here’s a snapshot of his East Coast research.

St Andrews West Sands (https://manonabeach.com/scottish-lowlands/st-andrews-west-sands)

This is the beach used in the opening sequence of “Chariots of Fire”. There is plenty of space on the sand with almost two miles of beach backed by sand dunes and the world famous St Andrews golf course, known as the home of golf. The town is worth a visit, with a ruined cathedral on the high ground above East Sands beach. St Andrews is a university town, which also has excellent cafes and restaurants, all within an easy walk from the beach. 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 significant animal and plant species. When the sky is fused with the sea, as I found on one occasion, the horizon loses its definition. The sea lapped the shore gently as the town of St Andrews began to wake up for another day.Alan – “Childhood. Memories. Born in St Andrews, you would come down here and have a good time, sand in the sandwiches. There’s no place like it. You see it on the telly. Everybody loves the place. It’s a dream world. You see the water going out and you know it’s going to come in again. Life’s like that too.”Elie (https://manonabeach.com/scottish-lowlands/earlsferry)

Yellowcraig, one of the jewels of East Lothian

This long sandy beach links the former royal burghs of Elie and Earlsferry. It features beach huts and dunes that sit behind a wide expanse of sand at low tide. This popular swimming beach forms the central section of a long, curved line of sand that runs from Earlsferry round to Elie Harbour. Beach cricket is played at low tide in front of The Ship Inn. Backed by dunes and beach huts, Elie is ideal for dinghy sailing, pleasure boating, windsurfing and suchlike. The proximity of the village adds variety to any visit and the wider attractions of Fife are to hand. In addition, the beach lies on the Fife Coastal Path. I remember bright sunshine and a blue sky greeting me one early morning in summer, yet I also recall trudging through the snow in winter. Elie is a pleasure to visit at any time of the year.Graeme – “I’ve been coming to Elie beach for 35 years now. I came as a small kid and I’m now bringing my own kids. I suppose it’s my favourite place in the world. There’s no other place I’d rather be.”Gullane (https://manonabeach.com/scottish-lowlands/gullane-bents)

Gullane has an expansive, sandy beach, with fine views of the Firth of Forth. In the summer it is popular with families, offering kite flying, windsurfing and canoeing. In terms of natural attractions, the sea buckthorn, orange when in bloom and the extensive dune system provide a haven for small birds. There’s a pleasing arc to this beach, which gradually reveals itself as you approach though the grasses and dunes. The scene might be from a children’s picture book. This beach is located close to the celebrated Muirfield Golf Course. Longniddry is less than a mile away, with its shops, restaurant and train station. For walkers, the John Muir Way is a highlight at any time, but on the beach itself the rich golden colour of the sand is striking. I have visited many times, but each welcome is different in mood and temperament, such is the wonder of this beach. Once, I remember razor clam shells crunching underfoot as I walked along the strand line. On another occasion, the gentle lapping of the waves from the Firth of Forth were adequate accompaniment, so it was down to the water for a paddle. Finally, Gullane Bents is dog friendly.Virginia – “The beach for me is home. It’s renewal. It’s home for my daughter. It means everything to my dog. It’s just the love of being around water. It’s possibility. It means travel, freedom, but mostly on a Sunday morning, when I’m on my own with a dog and a baby, it’s a giant play park.”Yellowcraig (https://manonabeach.com/scottish-lowlands/yellowcraig)This beach is one of the jewels in the crown of East Lothian. There is a sense of drama as you approach, firstly through the band of trees then across the marram grass and dunes. The arc of the beach is the first thing to greet you. Yellowcraig is a popular family beach, with a barbecue site, nature trail and footpaths that lead through the sheltered woodlands and extensive grassland behind the beach. The beach sits within a natural cove and has spectacular views to the 1885 lighthouse on Fidra Island, the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island”. In the nearby village of Dirleton, there is a castle with extensive gardens.Lesley – “Freedom, the sense of quiet and still and you’re able to take your thoughts down here and clear your head. A day like this is so wonderful, because this is morning breaking and as you can see from the light, it’s a beautiful day, perfect for walking the dogs and blowing away the cobwebs.”North Berwick West Bay (https://manonabeach.com/scottish-lowlands/north-berwick-west-beach)This is the main town beach for North Berwick and can be found near to the railway station. A wide arc of sand lines North Berwick’s bays. This beach is popular with families, dog walkers and swimmers alike. The town’s amenities are to hand and you can visit the lifeboat house and the Sea Bird Centre easily from here. This beach is clean, expansive and attractive, set conveniently in front of the town. I remember one summer visit. The beach was full of relaxing visitors, enjoying the blue sky, warm weather and all that North Berwick has to offer in season. Like Cromer in Norfolk, the town and the beach are in close harmony. On another visit, festival bunting lined the streets, an accordion was being played outside and seasonal shops were re-opening for the visitor season. There is a rich cultural identity here, an example being the popular East Lothian Yacht Club.Jane – “It’s an endless moving picture, summer and winter. I’ve lived here for ten years. I’ve never been any happier than right here. This is just perfect for me.”North Berwick East Bay (https://manonabeach.com/scottish-lowlands/milsey-bay)This is an expansive beach, also known as Milsey Bay, which affords fine views of Bass Rock and the Firth of Forth. The rocks by the beach have a pool cut into them for paddling, so it’s a safe family destination. With a picturesque harbour nearby and boats to take people out from the Sea Bird Centre to Bass Rock, there are plenty of visitor attractions at this part of East Lothian. I remember once how the receding tide had filled the lido on the beach at East Bay. Groups of children paddled in the shallow sea water, warmed by the hot summer sun. Blue skies framed the enormous Bass Rock and its gannet colony offshore. One summer, I learned about the Scottish Sea Bird Centre and the boat trips to see the gannet colony.Noelle – “I think this is a really magical beach, because, as you can see, behind us is Bass Rock, which between March and October each year, is home to about 150,000 gannets, the world’s largest gannet colony. To come here in the morning, just a short 25 minute train journey from Edinburgh, is something special.”

The British Beach Guide, Collected Perspectives from around the Coast by Ian Brighouse is published by Whittles Publishing at £18.99