Bishop's Cove

The walk down to Bishop's Cove from Anstruther takes you past cottage gardens and along a proper coastal path that feels genuinely removed from the main drag. Once you round the bend, you're faced with a small sandy cove hemmed in by red sandstone cliffs - nothing dramatic, but honest and rather appealing on a decent day.

This is coastal Fife at its most understated. The beach itself is modest, backed by rock formations that look worth photographing when the light's right, and at low tide you'll find pools among the stones worth a poke around. Most people come for the walk rather than to camp out here all day - it's a 20-minute stroll from town, which makes it ideal if you're staying at one of the caravan parks nearby like Sauchope Links or Silverdyke.

Walkers and coastal history types will find it satisfying enough. Families with young kids might spend an hour here at best before the novelty of rocks wears off. The real draw is the cumulative effect - it's part of the East Neuk experience. You're not coming here as a destination in itself; you're coming because you're exploring this stretch of coast and this cove happens to be genuine and accessible.

Free to visit, no formal facilities, and best tackled on a calm day when you can actually enjoy standing still without fighting the wind. Allow an hour if you include the walk from Anstruther and a gentle potter about.