Elie & Earlsferry: A Stunning Beach, a Bathing-Belle’s Tower & an Extinct Volcano

Elie & Earlsferry: A Stunning Beach, a Bathing-Belle’s Tower & an Extinct Volcano

The wide golden sweep of Elie beach at low tide, Fife.
Elie beach — nearly a mile of golden sand, and one of the loveliest beaches in Fife.

Overview

Elie (and its twin, Earlsferry) is the golden-sand jewel of the East Neuk of Fife — a beautiful village wrapped around one of the finest beaches on the east coast, with a famous beach pub, a lighthouse on an old volcano, a romantic ruined tower and a bay where you can hunt for “rubies.” We had a glorious couple of days here, and it’s become one of our favourite spots in Fife.

Where it is

Elie sits on the south-facing coast of the East Neuk, looking out over the Firth of Forth, with St Monans and Anstruther to the east and Lower Largo round Largo Bay to the west. Elie and Earlsferry run together into one village, joined at low tide by the sands.

The beach

The beach is the star, and it’s a beauty — a broad crescent of clean golden sand that, at low tide, joins Elie right along to Earlsferry, giving nearly a mile of uninterrupted strand. In summer it’s a hive of watersports, sailing and sandcastles; on a still February day we had it almost to ourselves, just us, the reflections and Lillie. We may also have drawn a heart in the sand. We’re not sorry.

A beach walk with Lillie the dog on the sands at Elie.
A blowy beach walk with Lillie.
Low-tide reflections on the wet sand at Elie.
Low tide turns the whole beach to a mirror.
Lillie the dog beside a heart drawn in the sand at Elie.
Lillie approving of her heart in the sand.
A heart in the sand and Lillie as the light fades at Elie beach.
A heart in the sand as the light went — soppy, and we don’t care.
An upturned boat on the dunes above Elie beach.
An upturned boat up in the marram grass.
Beach huts among the dunes at Elie.
Beach huts tucked in the dunes — this is a proper seaside village in summer.
The bay and village from the shore at Elie.
The bay curving round to the village.

The harbour & the village

At the eastern end sits the little harbour, with its old granary and a scatter of boats, and behind it the village proper — white-washed houses, crow-stepped gables and quiet lanes, the handsome old burgh of a place that has been trading and fishing on this shore for centuries.

Sailing boats in Elie harbour at low tide.
Boats in the wee harbour at low water.
The old harbour wall meeting the beach at Elie.
Where the old harbour wall meets the sand.
A small sandy beach beside the old stone harbour granary at Elie, the Forth beyond in low winter sun.
The old harbour granary above its own little beach — the winter sun low on the Forth.
An old crow-stepped gable in Elie village.
Old crow-stepped stone in the heart of the village.
A street of white-washed houses in Elie.
A quiet street of white-washed houses.
The rocky shore below Elie village.
The rocky shore right below the houses.

The Ship Inn — right on the beach

Elie’s famous Ship Inn sits literally on the shore at the Toft, its tables looking straight out over the sands — so close that in summer they hold cricket and rugby matches on the beach at low tide. We had a cracking fish supper and a pint here, with a warm welcome for Lillie by the fire, and liked it so much we came back next morning for coffee by the fireside. If you eat one meal in Elie, eat it here.

A fish supper and a beer at the Ship Inn, Elie.
Fish supper and a pint at the Ship Inn — right on the beach.
A proper fish and chips at the Ship Inn, Elie.
A proper haddock supper.
Lillie the dog welcome by the fire at the Ship Inn, Elie.
Dogs very welcome — Lillie made herself at home.
A cosy window table at the Ship Inn, Elie.
Back next morning for coffee at a window table.
A latte by the fire at the Ship Inn, Elie.
A latte by the fire — hard to leave.
The fireside on a winter morning at Elie.
The fireside on a cold February morning.
Lillie the dog stretched out by the fire at Elie.
Lillie, thoroughly off duty.

Elie Ness lighthouse

Walk out east along the shore and you reach Elie Ness lighthouse, a trim white tower on a rocky point, first lit in 1908 to guide ships through the Forth between the Isle of May and Inchkeith. It’s a lovely, breezy walk out to it, with the rock pools and the sea birds and the wide firth beyond.

Elie Ness lighthouse on its rocky point.
Elie Ness lighthouse, first lit in 1908.
The lighthouse above the shore at Elie Ness.
The light stands right out on the volcanic point.
The lighthouse across the rocks at Elie Ness.
The lighthouse across the rocks.

Lady’s Tower & the bathing belle

On the headland just beyond the lighthouse, above Ruby Bay, stands the roofless Lady’s Tower — and it comes with a wonderful story. It was built in 1770 as a bathing house for Lady Janet Anstruther, a famous beauty and the sister of the local laird, who loved to swim off Elie Ness. She would change in a little cave below the tower and rest in it afterwards — and, so the tale goes, she had a servant ring a bell through the village to warn everyone to keep away while she bathed. A grand spot at any time; magic at sunset.

The path to Lady’s Tower above Ruby Bay at sunset, Elie.
The path out to Lady’s Tower above Ruby Bay.

Ruby Bay & the extinct volcano

Here’s the surprise: you are standing on an extinct volcano. Elie Ness is one of at least a hundred old volcanic vents in East Fife, blasted out around 300 million years ago, and the dark, twisted rocks of the shore are the proof — the great Victorian geologist Sir Archibald Geikie called Elie Ness a world-class example. The bay just east is called Ruby Bay because of the “Elie rubies” found in the sand — small dark-red crystals that aren’t really rubies at all, but pyrope garnets thrown up from deep in that ancient vent. Keep your eyes down and you might just find one.

The rocky volcanic coast at Elie Ness.
The rugged coast at Elie Ness.
Old volcanic rock along the shore at Elie Ness.
The dark volcanic rock of an old vent.
A rock arch in the volcanic rock at Elie Ness.
A little arch worn in the ancient rock.

The Chain Walk & Earlsferry

For the adventurous, the west end of the village leads to one of Scotland’s most unusual walks: the Elie Chain Walk, a half-kilometre scramble round the cliffs of Kincraig Point where fixed steel chains help you haul yourself across the rock between Shell Bay and Earlsferry. Along the way are sea caves, including Macduff’s Cave — named for Macduff, Thane of Fife, who by legend fled across the Forth from here to escape Macbeth. It’s a proper adventure, and one only to be done with care and a falling tide.

Sunset over the Firth of Forth from Elie.
Sunset over the Forth.
Holding Lillie by the sea wall at sunset, Elie.
A cuddle with Lillie as the sun went down.
A sea view from the motorhome at Elie.
The view out of the van — not a bad spot to wake up.
The motorhome parked by the shore at Elie.
Parked up by the shore.

Nearby — the East Neuk

Sources

  • First-hand: Kevin & family, Elie & Earlsferry, 13–16 February 2024 (own photos); fish supper at the Ship Inn.
  • Welcome to Fife & the Fife Coast & Countryside Trust (the beach, the Ship Inn, Lady’s Tower & Lady Janet Anstruther, the Chain Walk); the “Explosive volcanic eruptions at Elie Ness” geology panel by Scottish Natural Heritage / geoHeritage Fife (the volcanic vent & the Elie rubies).