Tentsmuir Forest — Kinshaldy Beach Dispersed Parking and Coastal Staging

Kinshaldy car park at the northern edge of Tentsmuir Forest in Fife is a well-known staging point for exploring one of Scotland’s largest coastal forests and the sandy expanse of Tentsmuir Point National Nature Reserve. The beach stretches for miles, grey seals haul out on the sand bars, and the pine forest behind provides solid wind shelter. It’s a legit overnight pull-in used regularly by campervans and overlanders — not signed as camping but tolerated under Scotland’s Land Reform Act right to wild camp.

Access via the B945 from Leuchars, then a single-track forest road to the car park. Surfaces are gravel and packed sand — any vehicle handles it fine in dry conditions but soft sand edges can surprise you. No facilities. Busy in summer weekends; arrive mid-week or off-season for solitude. Fire bans apply across NatureScot land during dry periods — check before you go.

Scots pine, seals, and a mile of empty beach.