Forest bathing at Tentsmuir Forest

Tentsmuir is a large pine forest planted on the sand flats between Leuchars and Tayport, running right up to the dunes and the beach. Forestry and Land Scotland manage the forest, and the coastal edge is part of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. The ground is almost flat, the paths are soft and sandy, and once you are a little way in from the car park the pines close in and it goes quiet. Morton Lochs, on the western side, has bird hides and a red squirrel viewing hide.

Most people start at the Kinshaldy car park, where the Ice House Trail loops for about six kilometres through the pines to a 19th century ice house and a Second World War observation tower. The surface is mostly firm sand but uneven in places, with exposed roots, a few short ramps and some wet patches. The beach side gets busy on sunny weekends; the forest tracks inland are quieter. In a cold wind off the sea, the trees give good shelter.