St Andrews (East Sands)

BeachFife Council🐾 Dog-friendly all year

A roughly 700m sandy bay on the south side of St Andrews harbour, next to East Sands Leisure Centre, popular for watersports and RNLI lifeguarded in season.

📍 View on the map

Beach & safety

Water quality: Excellent

Lifeguard: RNLI lifeguarded, summer season

Hazards: Pollution risk from agricultural run-off and combined sewer overflow after heavy rain; boat traffic near harbour/sailing club.

Amenities: toilets · cafe · car-park

Dogs

No formal byelaw text located directly. Secondary sources say beach users are asked to keep dogs under control in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code — i.e. no ban.

Unofficial source: View the supporting source →Not an authority; check current signage.

Family

RNLI lifeguarded in season, leisure centre, cafe, play area.

Fishing

The Forth sand, shingle and rocky features can support flatfish, winter codling and whiting, with bass and mackerel in warmer periods.

Species reported: Flounder, Plaice, Dab, Codling, Whiting, Bass, Mackerel

Crabbing

not recommended

Access & parking

Direct from East Sands car park beside the leisure centre. Sat-nav: KY16 9NA. Get directions →

Researched 2026-07-24 — sources & disclaimer

https://www.fife.gov.uk/facilities/beaches-and-harbours/east-sands

https://www.thegooddogguide.com/fife/standrews/dog-friendly-beaches/east-sands/26521

Rules and conditions change, so always check current signage and tides before you go. We do our best to keep this accurate but can't promise it's error-free.