Where was Chariots of Fire filmed?

This stirring Oscar-winning sports drama gave cinema one of its most imitated images: a line of runners pounding along a wide beach in slow motion, set to an unforgettable score. That single sequence has become shorthand for triumph and effort, and it makes the beach behind it a quietly moving place to visit.

The famous training run was filmed on West Sands at St Andrews, a long, flat expanse of golden sand on Scotland's east coast. Backed by dunes and stretching out beside the town, it is exactly the windswept, open shore you picture from the film, and it remains free and open for anyone to walk. St Andrews itself, of course, is also the historic home of golf.

West Sands is an easy, atmospheric stop, ideal for an early-morning walk or run in the spirit of the scene. St Andrews sits on the coast of Fife, a straightforward trip from Edinburgh, and rewards a half-day or more with its ancient university, ruined cathedral and famous links. Bring a windproof layer, time it for low tide, and you can stride out across the very sands from the film.