Latest news with #ChariotsofFire
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Scotland's sunniest beach town revealed, with stunning two mile stretch of golden sands and great golf
The sea is great for paddling and the town is packed with places to eat and drink SUN'S UP Scotland's sunniest beach town revealed, with stunning two mile stretch of golden sands and great golf Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SUN-seekers should head to St Andrews, as it's just been named the seaside town with the most sunshine hours in the country. Which? has unveiled the sunniest beach-side towns in the UK and the iconic St Andrews has taken top spot in Scotland. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The town and west shore beach at St. Andrews in Fife Scotland. Credit: Alamy The idyllic east coast favourite sees an average of five hours of sunshine a day and balmy temperatures of 18C on average in August, although it does tend to get a bit of rain, averaging a monthly total of 71mm. But it does have pleasant 14C sea temperatures, making it lovely for a paddle or a swim. The Fife university town's stunning expansive West Sand beach, a glorious a two-mile stretch of sand, was awarded a beach rating of four out of five. It has, unsurprisingly, made the list of the Keep Scotland Beautiful beach Awards for 33 years in a row. The neighbouring East Sand has been recognised on the list for the last 25 consecutive years. 4 Golden stretch of sands at one fo the town's popular beaches Credit: Andrew Barr 4 St Andrews Castle on the edge of the town overlooking the beach Credit: Alamy St Andrews is a mix between a seaside haven and an eclectic university town (Prince William and Princess Catherine both famously attended there) and is stuffed with a range of galleries, Gothic architecture, student hang-outs, theatres, and tonnes of historical sights. Of course it is most famous for being the home of golf, with several coastal golf courses offering gorgeous teeing-up scenery, with some overlooking the West Sands beach, where scenes from Chariots of Fire were filmed. And it has plenty of other attractions once the sun decides to take its hat off, with fabulous restaurants and cracking shopping. Tripadvisor users continuously praise the town for its friendly folk, great range of accommodation and kid friendly beaches. One said: 'We visited St Andrews for the day (our first visit actually) and with the weather playing game, we took the boys onto the beach. 'Fantastic views of the Golf Course, the R&A clubhouse, the hotel, the town itself and of course the sea at St Andrews Bay. Donald Trump hits first ever shot at opening of new Trump North Sea links golf course 'There was a lot of people on the beach but due to its size, it never felt cramped.' The town was voted the best in Scotland last year in a survey of over 5,000 holidaymakers for Which? It was marked on everything from the quality of its beaches to the calibre of restaurants. It was also ranked an impressive third overall in the UK, with a score of 82%, just behind the winner Bamburgh in Northumberland and Portmeirion in Wales. It's was second year running the 'wonderfully scenic' town won the best of the best in Scotland. Frinton-on-Sea in Essex was crowned the UK's seaside town with the most sunshine hours - an average of six day, with very little rain and a beach rating of four out of five. The UK's sunniest seaside town Which? declared these to be the sunniest seaside towns... 1 Frinton-on-Sea. Essex 2 Dungeness, Kent, 3 Sidmouth, Devon 4 Tenby, Wales 5 Lytham St Annes, Lancashire 6 Bamburgh, Northumberland 7 St Andrews, Fife 8 Portstewart, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Holidaymaker's insane sprint to poolside to claim seven sunloungers with towels
The man was filmed as he sprinted from his spot at the pool to claim seven sunloungers all next to each other with towels to reserve them before returning to his room. This is the moment a determined holidaymaker dashes to the pool to claim seven sun loungers at once. The daily scramble for sunbeds at holiday resorts worldwide is nothing new, with seasoned sun-seekers knowing the early bird catches the best spots. However, what's surprising in a clip from Tenerife is the speed at which one man managed to reserve seven loungers with towels. Jeff Hunter, from Northern Ireland, shared his astonishment as he watched the man sprint towards the most coveted sunbeds at the hotel. The 36 year old claims that after securing all seven loungers, the man retreated to his room. Set to the soundtrack of the Chariots of Fire theme tune, the tourist, clad in shorts, burst into view and, upon reaching the beds, sidestepped to lay out the towels. This follows a Brit abroad criticising all-inclusive hotel food, asking 'what on earth is this?, reports the Mirror. What was perhaps most surprising was that after marking his territory, the man didn't return. Jeff, a chef, spent the morning by the pool, and an hour later, the man still hadn't returned to his reserved spots. The peculiar footage was captured at Parque Santiago III in Tenerife. The three-star hotel, costing around £131 per person per night, is the latest resort to witness the summer holiday sunbed wars. Jeff described the tourists' behaviour as "insane" after disclosing there were "hundreds" of available beds by the pool when the incident occurred on August 7. "I just think it's all a bit insane," Jeff from Northern Ireland, told Luxury Travel Daily. "There are hundreds of beds available, but he is dead set on getting the same ones every day. I personally don't mind as long as I can get a bed. "I don't know the guy. "He got seven beds and then went back to his room. "He still wasn't using them an hour later when I left. "We have been queuing from around 8:30 am for the pool opening at 9 am. He is always already there when we arrive, and from around 8:55 am, he stands in a runner's stance. "It's the same every day. It's an amazing hotel - just a nightmare in the mornings. "This follows last year when a young couple, who recorded themselves creeping down to their hotel pool at 1am to secure the prime spot, claimed holiday sunbed battles were spiralling out of control at their resort. Aimee Millar, 20, revealed she and her boyfriend had begun sneaking from their room during the night to claim the top sunbeds after discovering other guests were employing the same tactics." In the hotel we stayed at, if we didn't get those certain sunbeds we would've had to pay €7.50 (£6) each for a bed," said Aimee, who was holidaying in Albufeira, Portugal. "As much as it was crazy we didn't mind doing it at 1am as we were staying up later anyways. ".
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Sprinting tourist grabs seven sunbeds within seconds in 'insane' poolside battle
Footage shows a man sprint out at a hotel in Tenerife and race to the best sunbeds by the pool and then put down towels on seven loungers to the shock of onlookers This is the moment a determined holidaymaker sprints to the pool to bag seven loungers at once. There is nothing new about the daily battles for sunbeds at holiday resorts around the world, where the savvy sun lovers know to get out early to get the best spots. But what was is surprising in a clip from Tenerife is the speed that one man showed to occupy seven loungers with towels. Jeff Hunter, from Northern Ireland, has told how he watched on in awe as the man legged it towards the most sought-after sunbeds at the hotel. The 36-year-old claims that after securing all seven loungers, the man returned to his room. To the sound of the Chariots of Fire theme tune the tourist wearing shorts burst into view and then after reaching the beds, he took several steps sideways to lay out the towels. It comes after a Brit abroad slammed all-inclusive hotel food asking 'what on earth is this?' What was perhaps most surprising was that after putting down his markers, the man didn't return. Jeff, a chef, spent the morning at the pool, and an hour later, the man still hadn't come back to use his reserved spots. The bizarre footage was captured at Parque Santiago III in Tenerife. The three-star hotel, which costs around £131 a night per person, is the latest resort to face the summer holiday sunbed wars. Jeff branded the tourists' antics 'insane' after revealing there were 'hundreds' of spare beds by the pool when it happened on August 7. 'I just think it's all a bit insane,' Jeff from Northern Ireland, told Luxury Travel Daily. 'There are hundreds of beds available, but he is dead set on getting the same ones every day. I personally don't mind as long as I can get a bed. 'I don't know the guy. 'He got seven beds and then went back to his room. 'He still wasn't using them an hour later when I left. 'We have been queuing from around 8:30 am for the pool opening at 9 am. He is always already there when we arrive, and from around 8:55 am, he stands in a runner's stance. 'It's the same every day. It's an amazing hotel - just a nightmare in the mornings.' It comes after last year a young couple, who filmed themselves sneaking down to their hotel pool at 1am to grab the best spot, said holiday sunbed wars were out of control at their resort. Aimee Millar, 20, said she and her partner had started leaving their room in the middle of the night to grab the best sunbeds after they realised other guests were doing the same. 'In the hotel we stayed at, if we didn't get those certain sunbeds we would've had to pay €7.50 (£6) each for a bed,' said Aimee, who was staying in Albufeira, Portugal. As much as it was crazy we didn't mind doing it at 1am as we were staying up later anyways.'
Daily Mirror
02-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful UK beach walk that ends at award winning fish and chip shop
This award-winning beach in Scotland is backed by impressive sand dunes and has become a beloved destination for kitesurfing - it also happens to be a stone's throw away from a celebrated chip shop Scotland might not be the first destination on your radar when temperatures rise, but it happens to be the home of the best beach you've never heard of. This dune-backed bay also happens to be a short jaunt from an award-winning fish and chip shop. St Andrews West Sands can be found on the eastern coastline of Fife. The beach is surrounded by breath-taking sand dunes and a world-renowned golf course. Even first-time visitors may find the stunning view surprisingly familiar. West Sands is famous for featuring in the opening sequence of the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, in which a group of runners jog across the sand to a now-iconic soundtrack. READ MORE: EU seaside town with award-winning beach could be anywhere in the Caribbean Still today, West Sands is popular for walking and running - stretching for nearly two miles. The beach is also a great swimming spot - and particularly safe thanks to RNLI lifeguard patrol. But keep in mind that lifeguards are only on duty during the busier summer season. According to the RNLI website, the official lifeguard patrol dates for West Sands in 2025 are: June 21 - August 24 between 10am and 6pm local time. The organisation also warns beach-goers that no flags on the beach means that there are no lifeguards on duty. St Andrews West Sands is also particularly popular with kite surfers. As noted on online forums, there is a large and well-established 'Kite Zone' at the far north-end of the beach - outside of which kitesurfing is not permitted. In fact, there are quite a few great kitesurfing destinations in Fife. Pettycur Bay, Shell Bay, and Monifieth are also great destinations to check out during your travels. Once you've hit the water at West Sands though, you're only a 15-minute walk to the town centre where there is plenty of parking and you can explore the area's famous golf courses or grab a bite to eat. The town centre is famous for its golf heritage, and again, the beach is backed by some of the world's top courses. West Sands also puts you in close proximity to the award-winning Cromars fish and chip shop. Here, customers can enjoy a range of classics, including battered haddock, king prawns, fish cakes and smoked sausage. The establishment has been recognised by numerous awards bodies including the Scottish Fish and Chip Awards and the National Fish and Chip Awards. West Sands also overlooks the Eden Estuary Nature Reserve and is home to a range of seabirds and seals. A dune stabilisation programme is in place and visitors are asked to use the designated access points to access the beach. St Andrews West Sands are winners of a Keep Scotland Beautiful 2025 Scotland's Beach Award and are celebrating 33 years of awards. The flat sand beach is also particularly accessible, with beach wheelchairs available for hire from the Hamish Foundation.
Daily Record
19-07-2025
- Daily Record
The Scottish beach walk that ends at award winning fish and chips
The scenic bay famously featured in an iconic film. Temperatures are soaring all over Scotland, which means a trip to the beach is in order. For the Daily Record's latest Walk of the Week, we have chosen a breathtaking bay that is just a short walk from an award-winning fish and chip shop. West Sands is situated in the idyllic town of St Andrews in Fife. The beach is backed by sand dunes and the town's world-renowned golf courses. Stretching for nearly two miles, West Sands offers a seemingly limitless stretch of sand to explore. Whether you are travelling there with friends, family, or alone, it is hard to think of a better place to make the most of the sun this weekend. Movie buffs may recognise the beach from the iconic opening sequence of the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, in which a group of runners journey across the sand. West Sands is very popular amongst runners, but with temperatures set to be over 20 degrees in St Andrews this weekend make sure you don't overheat while trying to recreate the movie. For those travelling to West Sands by car, the beach offers plenty of parking. There are also toilets, while the amenities in St Andrews are easily accessible. After you are done soaking in the sun, your final stop before heading home should be Cromars. The fish and chip shop is only a short walk from West Sands, and is the perfect capper to a day out at the beach. The eatery has been recognised by numerous awards bodies over the years, including the Scottish Fish and Chip Awards and the National Fish and Chip Awards. It has also earned positive reviews from customers, with recent visitors describing it as "excellent" and "absolutely outstanding". See below for some photographs showing why West Sands is worth a visit this week. For further travel inspiration, a selection of the Daily Record's previous Walks of the Week can be found here: The 'virtually uninhabited' Scottish beach perfect for family summer day out The Scottish 'subtropical' garden that was crowned Family Venue of the Year The stunning Scottish beach with cosy pub by the sand perfect for family day out The perfect Scottish Father's Day hike that ends at inn with delicious Sunday roast The secret Scottish beach that was named 'best for dreamy holiday' The serene secret garden tucked away in the heart of Edinburgh's bustling city centre
