Crail Harbour — Attraction in Scotland

Beyond quaint, so much more than twee: an ancient but working harbour which might simultaneously be the most visually stunning and least pretentious of all the painfully pretty historic constructions in this affluent nook of the East Neuk.

Plenty of manicured former fisherman's cottages - be they tea rooms or holiday lets nowadays - to be found on the dipping cobblestoned approach road, and the usual attendant fuss of day trippers like me parking and milling and posing for selfies.

But this cove idyll won't be denied. Enough real industry, fishy smells and kerbside lobster sales to compliment the undeniable views along the isolated bay. Waves crash on a centuries-old slipway, creels crowd the sandstone piers.

And, looking back from the harbour walls, at the 17th & 18th Century cottages and newer, battlemented folly replacing Crail castle, it's as if a children's fairy tale ideal of an old fishing village is crashing down harder than the waves, consuming you in an avalanche of...

It a lovely small harbour. You can see why it got made into a Lego feature in Denmark. You can climb the harbour wall if it's not too windy. There is not many boats in the harbour. The biggest issue is the smell. In certain parts of the harbour mainly where the lobster pots are against the back wall. The smell is awful. When we were there it was not warm so I can only imagine how bad it would be on a warm day. The toilets are in a small building beside the harbour. The beach is beside it too and it's a good size. You can take a walk up to the old castle gardens where there is lots of seats and enjoy the views to the isle of may or bass rock. From here you can explore the rest of Crail which is enjoyable walk around the old streets and along the water. There is a few play...

Absolutely stunning harbour, in a beautiful area a must see if local. Local fisherman are very considerate and cautious of swimmers. My kids go pier jumping all the time and swimming in the sea. Again before taking the leap do confirm the height of the tide to prevent accidents. The sandy beach cove just down the rampart is excellent for controlled close monitoring whilst my children are swimming. When the tide is out you can traverse the rocks and observe various creatures in the pools left behind by the tide, just be cautious of the nippy crabs and slippery bits. A wonderful view out to The May Island from the pier and surrounding viewpoints. The landscape is often portrayed in artworks...