St Cyrus Beach & Nature Reserve & Visitors Centre

The stretch of sand and shale at St Cyrus, just south of Montrose, is one of those places that catches you off guard. You'll round the corner expecting nothing much and suddenly there's a proper cracking beach - dramatic red cliffs towering above, a sweep of golden sand below, and enough rock pools to keep kids occupied for hours. The nature reserve wraps around the whole thing, which means the dunes stay relatively wild and you're genuinely likely to spot something interesting: adders, natterjack toads, or if you're lucky, a peregrine falcon cutting across the cliffs.

The visitor centre sits back from the beach itself - basic but functional - and gives you the lowdown on what lives here and why it matters. Most people come for the beach walk though. It's easy access, never feels rammed even in summer, and the geology is properly dramatic. Families get decent value here: the rock pools alone justify a good two hours, and older kids into wildlife will find the reserve genuinely engaging rather than patronising.

Allow three to four hours if you're doing the walk and having a proper poke about. Bring a bucket for the pools and decent footwear - the shale gets slippery when wet. If you're staying at St Cyrus Holiday Park just down the road, you've landed on your feet; it's a fifteen-minute stroll. Royal Arch Riverside Park over at Brechin gives you more facilities if you need them, but St Cyrus itself is the real draw. Free to access, no faffing about with opening times.