The best coastal walks in Scotland

Read on for how to hike these coastal walks in Scotland:

The East Neuk Villages on the Fife Coastal Path

Scotland’s longest coastal path tales you from the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde. My favourite sections explore the villages of the East Neuk are one of the best coastal walks in Scotland:

• Explore Elie to St Monans – passing the striking Elie Lighthouse and Lady’s Tower at Sauchar Point – a picturesque changing room built for Lady Anstruther in the 1700s so she could bathe in the Forth – walk from St Monans to Elie. Grab lunch at the Ship Inn at Elie which serves up lovely lunches right on the beach – you might even spot a game of cricket being played on the sand!
• Walk St Monans to Pittenweem – passing the St Monans windmill, a relic 1770s of the salt panning industry which once dotted the coast. Further along, the coastal path passes the ruined and slightly spooky Newark Castle. For lunch try the East Pier Smokehouse or coffee and cake at the Diving Gannet.
• Hike from Anstruther to Crail – visit Cellerdyke with its tiny 16th century harbour – which is also known as Skinfast Haven once home to more than 50 herring boats. The path passes the Coves (The Caves of Caiplie) once used as an early site of christian worship and a doocot! The return walk from Anstruther to Crail is around 10 miles. Grab lunch from the Lobster Hut (check for opening) or the Crail Harbour Gallery and tearoom.

> Walk the Fife Coastal Path along the East Neuk of Fife.

Blackness Castle on the John Muir Trail, Linlinthgow

Blackness Castle on the Firth of Forth is no pretty palace built for kings and queens, but a fortress, the defender of the Royal port of Linlithgow. Built in 1440 and fortified in the 1500s, the Castle has been the scene of a great battle with Cromwell’s New Model Army, loyal to Mary Queen of Scots.

Blackness Castle is often called ‘the ship that never sailed’ due to its boat-like appearance from the sea, its location also makes for some stunning views of the river and across to Fife.

You can visit Blackness Castle by hiking the John Muir Way along the coast from Kinneil to Blackness. This section of the route is 6.5 miles/10.5 km one way and visits, Kinneil Nature Reserve before reaching the coast at Bo’ness. Stop for lunch at the Lobster Pot in Blackness before strolling back.

Tentsmuir Beach and Forest, Fife

Located in north-east Fife, Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, beach and forest covers a huge 5qm miles along the coast, north of St Andrews on the Tay river estuary. Offering wild walks on extensive sand dunes, a huge swathe of beach perfect for dogs to run around on, all bounded by a pretty forest full of walking and cycling trails – Tentsmuir is just gorgeous!

The Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve covers 564 hectares (ha) home to hundreds of grey and common seals and 12,000 eider ducks between October and March, along with pink-footed geese. You might even spot a bottlenose dolphin!

The Ice House Trail take you through the sand dunes and forest to find an 19th century ice house and World War II pillboxes. The ice house trail is 3¾ miles / 6.2 km and will take around 2 hours. This walk is a great introduction to the area. Grab lunch from the crepe van located at the Tentsmuir car park.

> Visit Tentsmuir Forest and Beach. Car parking is £2 which you will need in cash for the barrier.

St Abbs and Coldingham Bay on the Berwickshire Coastal Path

The Berwickshire Coastal Path runs 30 miles from Cockburnspath to Berwick upon Tweed in England, connecting to both the Southern Upland Way to Dumfries and Galloway and to the John Muir Way in East Lothian. From the pretty village of St Abbs you can walk along the clifftop to Eyemouth via Coldingham Bay or north to the St Abbs Nature Reserve.

• Coldingham Sands is a gorgeous beach 10 minutes walk along the coastal path from St Abbs. The beach is lined with pretty beach huts and is famed for its surfing!
• Take the cliff path north through the St Abbs Head Nature reserve north to the unusually named Pettico Wick Bay, where you can spot the folded rocks and 400 million-year-old pink & purple volcanic lava of the Pettico Wick fault which form ledges for the seabirds.

For lunch grab locally caught crab sandwiches at Ebb Carr’s Cafe or the Old School Cafe and had to the Visitor Centre for a warm welcome and to find out more about the area.

> Visit St Abbs and more things to do in the Scottish Borders.

Loch Hourn to Berrisdale Bay, Knoydart

In a country the size of Scotland, it’s surprising that there are still parts of the country so remote that it can take days to get to them. Described as Britain’s last wilderness, Knoydart is only accessible by boat or a 16-mile (26 km) walk in from Kinloch Hourn.

From Lochhournhead a old coastal path takes you out alongside Loch Hourn to Barrisdale Bay and onwards to Inverie, the main settlement on the peninsula. The walk out along one of Scotland’s most dramatic and fjord-like sea lochs can be as long or short as you like.

The full route to Inverie on Knoydart is 15 miles (8 hours) although most people will stop at Barrisdale at 6.75 miles (4 hours) where there is a campsite for the night before continuing on, or returning back to civilisation. Look out for stunning rhododendrons, otters, deer, and even dolphins!

In summer, a wee boat service can be arranged to take you back from Barrisdale Bay back to Lochhournhead. If you do reach Inverie, then there is a passenger ferry boat to take you back to Mallaig. 

The walk forms part of the Cape Wrath Trail. 

> Read more: how to visit Kinloch Hourn

John O’Groats and Duncansby Head, Caithness

Take a walk out from John o’Groats along the Pentland First to view Duncansby’s huge sea stacks and visit the Duncansby Head Lighthouse with a visit to Roberts Haven, the Ness of Duncansby and the sandy sweep of the Bay of Sannick.

This 8km round trip walk takes you along the coast of the Pentland Firth. Nicknamed the ‘Hells Mouth’ by sailors, the Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea around the Pentland Skerries islands – leading to huge swells, eddies and dramatic tides – the tides even have names including the Bore of Huna and the wells of Tuftalie! 

> Hike the Pentland Firth coastal walk to Duncansby Stacks
> More things to do in Caithness

Handa Island, Assynt

Just off the remote north-west coast of Scotland lies Handa, one of Scotland’s most beautiful islands and a nationally important wildlife reserve.

Home to Puffins, rare Bonxies, stunning views of the Assynt mountains and one of Scotland’s best beaches, it will take you around 2 hours to fully walk around the island’s 4-mile circular boardwalk path, longer if you stop every few seconds to scan the cliffs for puffins.

Handa Island sits off the far north west coast of Scotland in the Sutherland region, 45 minutes north of Lochinver and 50 minutes south of Durness. 

The Handa Island ferry departs from the tiny settlement of Tarbet, 10 minutes north of Scourie down a single track road. The ferry is a modern passenger RIB which takes up to 12 people at a time.

> Read more: how to visit Handa Island

Sanna Bay from Portuarik, Ardnamurchan

Looking for Scotland’s best beach? Let me introduce you to Sanna Bay on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula – one of Scotland’s hidden gems and one of the best views in Scotland.

At the very end of the Ardnamurchan Peninsula is Sanna Bay, an incredible sweep of white sand, turquoise seas and stunning views of the Small Isles Rùm, Eigg, and Muck. Whilst you can get to Sanna by car, my favourite way to visit is to walk from the hamlet of Portuairk along the coastal path.

Portuairk holds the claim to being the most westerly settlement on the British mainland and the crofting cottages hug the coastline and appear in the most spectacular locations. 

Walking from Portuairk means you arrive at Sanna high above the bay, where the view across the beach reveals sea so blue it needs no editing… The path leads down to the beach with its beautiful white sands.

> Walk to Sanna from Portuarik

Sand Beach and the Applecross Peninsula

Applecross’s selling point is that it really is at the end of the world. To get here, you either need to brave the famous Bealach Na Ba pass or the winding coast road from the neighbouring village of Shieldaig – both of which require nerves of steal from those not used to Scotland’s dramatic west coast roads.  For those who do make it the peninsula is as blissful as it gets.

The North Coast 500 might pass past the Inn, but don’t just get back in your car, instead wind your way 7km / 4.25 miles (one way) from Applecross to Sand along the coastal path for a picnic, with views of the Inner Sound to Raasay and Skye. Pick up a picnic up from The Potting Shed – which is set in the most beautiful walled garden. Book in for lunch or dinner on your return at the Applecross Inn.

> Walk from Applecross to Sand

Findhorn to Hopeman on the Moray Coast Trail

The Moray Coast Trail stretches 50 miles from Forres to Cullen along the spectacular Moray Firth. My favourite section starts at Findhorn and takes you to Hopeman and its beach.

Most famous for its off-grid eco-community (The Findhorn Foundation) and nearby RAF Kinloss, Findhorn also has a spectacular (but windswept) 7-mile beach. The village sits at the mouth of the River Findhorn, which has formed a beautiful bay ringed by mudflats and sand dunes – we spotted a colony of grey seals basking out on the sand! 

From Findhorn, follow the coastal path to the village of Burghead at the other end of the bay (stop here for lunch at the Bothy in Burghead) and then walk on to Hopeman with its row of pretty beach huts.

> Read more: Findhorn to Hopeman walk.

The Kyles of Bute from Tighnabruaich, Cowal

Say hello to Scotland’s ‘secret coast’ – the Cowal Peninsula. Forming part of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and sitting on the spectacular Loch Fyne, the Cowal Peninsula stretches from the pretty town of Inveraray to the stunning Ostel Bay – and right out to sea.

From the hamlet of Tighnabruaic, a coastal path takes along the edge of the pretty Kyles of Bute (sea channels) to Caladh Lighthouse and Eilean Dubh (the black island) sitting at the mouth of Loch Riddon.

The walk will take about 2 hours, but you can walk as far as you’d like – you are following the Loch Lomond and Cowal Way which takes you from the Cowal Peninsula to Loch Lomond.

Head to The Oystercatcher, Otter Ferry or Inver Restaurant for lunch.

> read more: how to visit the Cowal Peninsula.

Dunure to Culzean Castle on the Ayrshire Coastal Path

The Ayrshire coastal village of Dunure has a ruined castle with its small labyrinth, and is located on the beautiful Ayrshire Coastal Path.

From Dunure you can walk along the coastal path to visit Culzean Castle. This giant National Trust for Scotland castle and estate perched out on the edge of the Ayrshire Coast, high on a cliff.

Designed by famous Scottish architect, Robert Adam, the castle is surrounded by a 260-hectare country park including its own beaches. Did you know Culzean Castle is pronounced Cul-een and is used as the castle of Lord Summerisle in the Wickerman?

After your walk have lunch in the Harbourside Cafe or dinner and drinks in the Anchorage Inn.

> More things to do in Ayrshire

The Mull of Oa and the American Monument, Islay

Islay’s south-west corner is the island’s most dramatic. Head to the village of Port Ellen and then drive out on the remote Mull of Oa where you can walk to the American Monument along the Oa cliffs.

Look for sea eagles soaring overhead and wild goats and highland cows ambling across the path.

The Oa monument, built to commemorate two shipwrecks on Islay in 1918, can be seen right across the island and the story of those lost on the Tuscania and the HMS Otranto is truly humbling.

> Walk to the Mull of Oa and the American Monument

You might also like:

> The best loch walks in Scotland
> The best forest walks in Scotland
> The Best Short Walks in Scotland
> The best circular walks in Scotland
> The best waterfall walks in Scotland

Which are your favourite coastal walks in Scotland?

Love from Scotland x