An iconic Fife beach now has its own dedicated ranger team to help improve the experience of visitors.
The West Sands of St Andrews is not only famous for the opening scenes of the film Chariots of Fire, but thousands of people take the opportunity to descend on the near-two miles of uninterrupted sand backed with dunes beside the world-renowned Old Course.
Now, thanks to an innovative agreement between St Andrews Links Trust and Fife Coast Countryside Trust, the beach area can boast its own countryside ranger team.
Assistant rangers Gavin Legg and Emily Alsford have joined countryside ranger Ranald Strachan to provide a site-based team who will promote the sustainable use and development of the whole West Sands area.
And as well as making the experience more pleasurable for visitors, the team aim to protect and enhance the natural environment, reduce the impact on the site from anti-social or inappropriate behaviour, and advise and support the St Andrews Links Trust realise their environmental aims and objectives.
Chris Broome, chief executive of the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, welcomed the new tie-up with the St Andrews Links Trust.
He added: “This partnership is a most welcome development that will add greatly to the West Sands and it status as a major visitor attraction and an important natural heritage site.”
The new link-up was launched to mark World Ranger Day, which is an International Ranger Federation initiative aimed at commemorating rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work rangers do across the globe.
A few of the actions the rangers will undertake at West Sands will include a first point of contact for visitors and a public open weekly beach clean.
There will also be a new education programme for schools, colleges and universities and an events programme to promote the sustainable use of the site.
The rangers will be based on site and will be present everyday providing a comprehensive information facility for all beach activities and events.
Anyone who wishes to find out more should contact 07985 707593, or pop down and meet them out on the Sands.
