It is business as usual at St Andrews’ West Sands, despite the loss of its coveted Blue Flag status.
The prestigious award was removed from the jewel in Fife’s seaside crown after it failed to pass stringent water quality tests at the end of last summer.
However, the message to visitors is the beach is as safe and clean as it always was and people should not be put off visiting.
Made famous by the opening scene in Chariots of Fire, the West Sands has boasted a Blue Flag in all but one of the last 17 years, placing it among the best in the world.
The award has also been removed from the town’s East Sands in the latest Keep Scotland Beautiful awards but both have retained their Seaside Awards, which also recognise high standards of safety, cleanliness and water quality.
A spokeswoman for Keep Scotland Beautiful said both beaches had failed to meet just one of 32 criteria needed for Blue Flag status.
”The water quality at St Andrews last year took a dip and it didn’t achieve the excellent standards it usually does,” she said.
”The 31 land-based criteria were met and there will still be lifeguards, the beaches will be cleaned regularly and the toilets will be open.
”We want people to continue visiting the beach and check the boards when they arrive to see what the water quality has been in the last week and then decide whether to swim or not.”
The spokeswoman added that the award is based on historic data and that in the case of West Sands, four of 20 water samples taken at the very end of last summer were not considered excellent.
”This year it may achieve excellent water quality again,” she said.
Patrick Laughlin, manager of the St Andrews Partnership, pointed out that the West Sands had achieved a Seaside Award for the 20th year running but had missed out on a Blue Flag ”on a technicality”.
”It was right at the end of the measuring season last year,” he said. ”Everybody recognises last summer saw a set of very unusual circumstances weather-wise, which resulted in a lot of agricultural flow into the sea. That has caused the water level reading.
”We do not expect it will affect visitor numbers in any substantial way and we hope it will be flying the Blue Flag once again next year.”