St Andrews has three sandy beaches, all within walking distance of the town. West Sands is the long one — a mile and a half of flat golden sand running alongside the Old Course, backed by dunes, and the one you've seen in the opening slow-motion sequence of Chariots of Fire. It is exposed and often windy, which makes it a popular spot for kite surfers and kite buggyers at the far end. East Sands, next to the harbour on the other side of town, is smaller, more sheltered, and the easy family option. Castle Sands, tucked directly below the castle walls, is a small cove where, every year on the 1st of May, hundreds of St Andrews students run into the North Sea at dawn for the traditional May Dip — a tradition that is supposed to atone for walking on the cathedral gravestones at any point during the academic year.