Top Beaches Day Trips from Perth
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Beaches Day Trips from Perth include Tentsmuir Sands Beach, Elie Beach, Yellowcraig Beach, Prestonpans Beach, Haugh Road Beach, North Berwick Seacliff, Seacliff Beach and Lunan Bay.
Perth sits inland on the River Tay, a handsome former county town with the open coast in easy reach on three sides. Head south and east and you drop down to the sands of Fife, where Tentsmuir spreads wide near the mouth of the Tay and Elie curves along the East Neuk.
Carry on across the Firth of Forth and the East Lothian shore unfolds, a run of beaches around North Berwick that takes in Yellowcraig, the rocky foreshore at Prestonpans, quiet Haugh Road and the twin red-sandstone coves at Seacliff. Turn instead toward the north-east and the Angus coast delivers Lunan Bay, a long golden sweep between Arbroath and Montrose.
None is on Perth's doorstep, but each makes a rewarding drive out for the day, with dunes, rock pools, seabird islands and castle ruins to explore along the way. Pack a flask, watch the tides and pick your direction.
Here are eight beaches for a day trip from Perth.
Tentsmuir Sands Beach
Photo: Gordon Hatton via Geograph.org.uk
Tentsmuir Sands Beach About 39km south-east of Perth on the Fife coast, Tentsmuir Sands is a vast, wide beach of firm sand at the mouth of the River Tay, backed by dunes and a great pine forest within a national nature reserve near Tayport. Remarkably, the sand is still growing here, on one of the fastest-building coasts in Britain, and the dunes shade into woodland threaded with walking and cycling trails.
This is one of the few spots where both grey and common seals haul out on the offshore sandbanks, alongside plenty of birds. Park in the forest and walk out through the trees to the shore, with bird hides waiting at the point.
Elie Beach
Photo: Jim Bain via Geograph.org.uk
Elie Beach A little further along the Fife coast, roughly 45km south-east of Perth, Elie and Earlsferry share a long sandy beach on the East Neuk, curving along the Firth of Forth. At low tide you can walk close to a mile of unbroken sand between the two villages, passing the little harbour at Elie.
Just to the east lies the sheltered curve of Ruby Bay, named for the red garnets found in the local rock, with a small lighthouse on the headland beyond. Watersports run from the harbour through the summer months, making this a lively yet relaxed stop on a warm day.
Yellowcraig Beach
Photo: Mike Pennington via Geograph.org.uk
Yellowcraig Beach Cross the Firth of Forth into East Lothian, about 55km south of Perth, and you reach Yellowcraig, a sandy beach backed by dunes and pine woodland just north of Dirleton and a few miles west of North Berwick. A large car park sits back through the trees, with toilets, a barbecue area, bike racks and a children's play park among the pines.
Offshore lie the islands of Fidra, Craigleith and the Bass Rock, with Fidra and its 1885 lighthouse now a seabird reserve where puffins breed. The beach falls on the John Muir Way and reveals rock pools at low tide.
Prestonpans Beach
Photo: Richard Webb via Geograph.org.uk
Prestonpans Beach Also in East Lothian, some 56km south of Perth, Prestonpans Beach is a rocky, boulder-strewn stretch of the Firth of Forth shore, more a wild tidal foreshore than a sandy bathing beach. When the tide drops, a long stony intertidal zone opens out, with wide views across the firth to Fife.
It draws dog walkers and coastal ramblers rather than sunbathers. The John Muir Way, a long-distance coastal route, threads through the town, though there are no facilities down on the shore itself, so bring what you need for the day.
Haugh Road Beach
Photo: Anne Burgess via Geograph.org.uk
Haugh Road Beach On the eastern edge of North Berwick, about 59km south of Perth, Haugh Road Beach is reached from Haugh Road, where a car park sits above the shore. It lies just along from the town's main sandy bay at Milsey Bay, a mix of pale sand and rock with pools at low tide, sheltered and quiet, looking out to the Bass Rock and along the Firth of Forth.
The harbour, the seabird centre and the town's other beaches are a short walk to the west. Come here for a stroll, a paddle and a spot of rock-pooling rather than the bustle of a resort.
North Berwick Seacliff
Photo: Walter Baxter via Geograph.org.uk
North Berwick Seacliff A few miles east of North Berwick, roughly 63km south of Perth, Seacliff is a red-sandstone beach and rocky cove with sweeping views to the Bass Rock offshore and Tantallon Castle along the shore. Its quirk is a tiny harbour blasted out of the sandstone in 1890, often said to be among the smallest in Britain, its entrance only a few metres wide.
The beach is reached along a private estate road with a barrier and a parking charge, and much of the sand disappears at high tide, so time your visit. Above stand the ruins of Seacliff House, gutted by fire in 1907.
Seacliff Beach
Photo: Walter Baxter via Geograph.org.uk
Seacliff Beach Sharing the same corner of the East Lothian coast, about 63km south of Perth, Seacliff Beach is a sheltered curve of pale sand backed by red sandstone rocks, reached down a private road with a small charge at the barrier. Its curiosity is that tiny harbour cut into the rock by the local laird in 1890, said to be one of the smallest in the country.
From the sand you get fine views of the great seabird island of Bass Rock and the ruined clifftop Tantallon Castle nearby, with the burnt-out shell of an old mansion in the woods above. Walkers, surfers and dog-walkers all love it.
Lunan Bay
Photo: Nigel Corby via Geograph.org.uk
Lunan Bay Swing north-east instead, about 64km from Perth, and the Angus coast serves up Lunan Bay, a long sweeping sandy beach between Arbroath and Montrose that many rate the finest in the county. The Lunan Water crosses the sand and splits the beach in two, easiest to ford at low tide, with dunes behind and sea caves and a natural rock arch at the northern end.
On a mound above stand the ruins of Red Castle, named for the local red sandstone and first fortified in the late twelfth century under King William the Lion. A signed track leads down to a car park and cafe at the hamlet of Lunan.
FAQs
How far are the beaches from Perth?
The closest, Tentsmuir Sands, is about 39km south-east of Perth on the Fife coast, while the East Lothian and Angus beaches, such as Seacliff and Lunan Bay, are around 60km away. All sit within a comfortable day's drive.
Which beach near Perth is best for families?
Yellowcraig in East Lothian is a strong family choice, with a car park, toilets, a barbecue area, a play park among the pines and rock pools at low tide. Elie in Fife also offers a long safe stretch of sand and summer watersports.
Can you see wildlife on a day trip from Perth?
Yes. Tentsmuir Sands is one of the few places where both grey and common seals haul out on the sandbanks, and the islands off Yellowcraig, including Fidra, host breeding puffins and other seabirds.
Conclusion
Perth may sit well inland, but a day at the seaside is never far off. The Fife coast offers the easiest runs, with Tentsmuir's forest-backed sands and the twin-village sweep at Elie both under an hour away.
For seabird islands and castle views, the East Lothian shore around North Berwick rewards the longer drive, from Yellowcraig and quiet Haugh Road to the rocky foreshore at Prestonpans and the pair of red-sandstone coves at Seacliff. And when you fancy heading north-east, Lunan Bay's golden mile on the Angus coast is well worth the miles.
Keep an eye on tides and parking barriers, take a picnic and choose your direction to suit the weather. Whether you want firm sand for a long walk, rock pools for the children or a wild shore to yourself, these are the beaches for a day trip from Perth.
