West Sands Dune Management

The dunes are part of the Eden Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

In March 2010, the dunes were hit by a storm surge and high tides, breaching parts of the dune system and flooding farmland and parts of the world-renowned St Andrews golf courses.

The West Sands Partnership (made up of relevant organisations and interest group), formed in the same year, has delivered nature-based enhancement of the dunes to manage the risks of coastal erosion and flooding.

It works with coastal habitats to provide adaptation to extreme weather and sea-level rise, with the inherent adaptiveness of sand dunes as a natural coastal defence forming the heart of the project. Tens of thousands of tonnes of sand was used to re-profile parts of the dunes, re-instating their flood protection function.

This solution was designed to be as self-sustaining as possible, though in the heavily-used dune system it was also necessary to manage pedestrian access, and to stabilise some blown sand by installing fencing and planting dune grasses.

All work had to be compatible with conservation of the dunes and intertidal areas, which are designated as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation.

It is also supported by reduced pressures on coastal habitats managed by:

• The provision of more signed paths and boardwalks providing clear access through the dunes and reducing the potential for ad hoc path damage.
• Replacing mechanical beach cleaning practices with manual litter picking, meaning seaweed isn’t removed so insect and bird populations are better supported.
• Fencing off large areas of the beach to reduce erosion and wildlife disturbance.
• Using sheep to graze dune grassland.
• Creating new sand dunes at three larger access points where rare tidal flooding could directly impact infrastructure beyond.

The dune habitats notified within the SSSI were deemed to be in a ‘recovering’ condition in NatureScot’s formal site condition monitoring in 2016. This is partly attributed to the dune restoration project.

Monitoring carried out by Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT) has shown that since mechanical beach cleaning stopped Ringed Plovers have been breeding successfully at Outhead for the first time since 2005.

A key element for the success of this project has been the understanding between all partners that this restorative work is likely to be required for many years if not indefinitely. As such the project partners have accepted that dune restoration is part of the site management in the mid- to longer-term.