The Beach!

Yeah, that's right. There's a beach in Edinburgh.

It's very strange, you wouldn't expect to find such a beautiful beach in the middle of Scotland, but alas, there is one. The sand was soft and the sky was blue, although I'm pretty sure the water would be freezing.

The island you see if the Isle of Inchkeith. According to Wikipedia, Inchkeith has a colorful history as a result of its proximity to Edinburgh and strategic location for use as a lightout and for military purposes.

In 1497 the island was used as an isolated refuge for victims of the "Grandgore" (modern day Syphilis) in Edinburgh. The Grandgore Act was passed in 1497, causing Inchkeigh, as well as other islands in the Firth to be made a place of "Compulsory Retirement" for people suffering with the disease. They were told to board a ship at Leith and once there, "to remain till God provide for their health". Yikes.

The lighthouse was built in 1803. It stands 67 metres high. It is now listed as a building of Architectural Significance.

Apparently you can take a ferry over to the island for some fun poking around.
While it was sunny, the wind was blowing and it was still a bit chilly. Few people were out suntanning, although there was a kite.
And it was very very soft sand. I imagine that this would be a very busy spot in the dead of summer!

Edit: Apparently (I forgot) there are also 12th century abbey ruins that you can explore on Inchcolm! How fun would that be?