St Andrews’ beaches are a major draw for visitors and add to the town’s visual spendour. But what is not widely recognised is that they are also important environmentally; they are habitats for a wide range of flora and fauna and it is important to preserve this biodiversity.
West Sands is the town’s largest and most spectacular beach. It has been a frequent winner of Blue Flag Awards and Seaside Awards. For many years it has been raked mechanically in the summer months, and seaweed has been removed – creating a cosmetically attractive, but environmentally damaging, beach but that was damaging to animals and plants. After a successful year-long trial throughout 2010, West Sands no longer has mechanical beach cleaning or the removal of seaweed taking place . Litter is now collected manually.