Visit Cramond Beach

30 November 2022|Read time 2 mins

Discover Cramond Beach, a short drive or bus ride from Edinburgh city centre.

It's easy to forget how many beaches Edinburgh has. There is so much to explore out of the city centre, including Cramond Beach.

Visit Cramond Beach, just outside of Edinburgh

Cramond Beach is a hidden gem, known mostly to locals, but well worth a visit, especially on a warm afternoon.

I'd like to share with you my last experience of this gorgeous coastal walk, one of the many great ways to get active during a self-catering break in Edinburgh.

"We ventured out to Cramond Beach and as usual, afterwards, I made plans to visit Cramond Beach more often.

A family trip out to Cramond, Edinburgh

Our youngest daughter (20 months) whooped with delight from her car seat when she saw the sea.

We left the car in the free parking next to the Cramond Inn, then raced down to the beach. 

The sight of a huge stretch of water reaching across to Fife, well, it was exhilarating.

We walked for a mile or two along the wide promenade; excellent from a practical point of view if you have a buggy or wheelchair. 

When my eldest daughter was a baby, I took part in an exercise group for new mums along this promenade. 

We raced our buggies in formation!

Eldest daughter (now nearly four) clambered up onto the wall separating the promenade from the beach. 

Proud and scared by turns, she tottered along the wall for half a mile or so.

Then we abandoned the buggy and walked down onto the sandy beach, where, for once, we found an activity that suited both children.

The youngest daughter sat in the sand, inspecting shells and letting sand run through her fingers. 

Our eldest daughter raced around the beach, collecting pebbles, feathers and shells.

View from Cramond Beach, Edinburgh

We saw the island of Inchkeith in the Firth of Forth hazed in mist, looking like the scene for a children's adventure story.

The sight of a container ship on the horizon, out in the North Sea, sparked theories from the elder daughter of pirates.

The snow-capped hills of Fife rose above the northern side of the Firth of Forth."

Explore the Firth of Forth coastline

Another great way to enjoy Edinburgh's coastline at the Firth of Forth is to book a boat tour from South Queensferry.

Companies such as Forth Boat Tours and Maid of the Forth offer a variety of tours which teach passengers about the history and nature along the Firth of Forth. 

Some sailing routes also offer the opportunity to land at Inchcolm Island, home to Inchcolm Abbey and with a history of its own, as it was fortified during the World Wars to protect the city of Edinburgh.

Whether you are on a boat or scrambling across Cramond Island, keep an eye out for seabirds diving and seals bobbing in the water.

The boat tours are also a great opportunity to see the famous Forth Bridges in more detail, with the rail bridge dating from the 1880s and the two road bridges from the 20th and 21st centuries respectively.

Don't forget the many other fantastic beaches in and around our city, including Gullane Beach in East Lothian and Portobello Beach.

Around a 1-hour drive from the city you will find Dunbar, home to a historic harbour as well as East Links Family Park, another great choice for a family day trip.

Visit Cramond Beach, Edinburgh

All this, just twenty minute drive or a short bus ride from central Edinburgh.

A must for your next self-catering break to Edinburgh.

Cramond Beach, Cramond Glebe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 6NU