Scotland's most 'radioactive town' is just a half hour drive away from Edinburgh (2025)

The town has won several “Best Kept Small Town” awards over the years

Just nine miles from Edinburgh, the seaside town of Dalgety Bay in Fife offers a scenic escape that’s easily reachable in under half an hour by car, or by regular train services for those less keen on getting behind the wheel.

With its sweeping coastal views and lush green spaces, the town has won several “Best Kept Small Town” awards over the years. But Dalgety Bay isn’t just known for its natural charm. It holds a more unusual claim to fame, being dubbed the UK’s most “radioactive” town, Edinburgh Live reported.

This curious distinction stems from the town’s military past. Once a key Royal Air Force base, the area was home to a major aircraft repair depot. Today, much of the northern industrial estate is built on the site of the old airfield runway, parts of which are still visible.

In a nod to the town’s history, the local tennis courts now sit on the concrete base of a former aircraft hangar.

Despite being relatively new, developed in the 1960s, Dalgety Bay holds a wealth of historical intrigue. It was the first “new town” in Scotland developed by private enterprise, but the surrounding area boasts centuries of rich heritage.

Visitors can explore the ruins of St Bridget’s Kirk, a historic parish church, or marvel at the stately mansions and towers scattered throughout the area. Among these are Fordell Castle and Donibristle House, once the residence of the Earls of Moray.

One of the most dramatic chapters in the town’s history took place in 1592, when George Gordon, the Earl of Huntly, murdered his political rival James Stewart, the 2nd Earl of Moray, by the shore.

The grisly event was immortalised in the folk ballad The Bonnie Earl O’ Moray, which recounts the bloody feud.

Dalgety Bay, a peaceful coastal town in Fife, has a history tinged with a surprising environmental issue, its connection to aviation during World War Two led to a radioactive hotspot that persisted for decades.

The town’s coastline became contaminated with radium from discarded aircraft parts, and the situation required more than thirty years of remediation work.

The radioactive particles, believed to have originated from radium-coated components of wartime aircraft, were incinerated and then dumped in the bay.

Since 1990, thousands of these particles have been uncovered, though they pose a minimal risk to public health.

The contamination resulted in a public access ban from 2011 to 2023, a measure that has now been lifted following extensive clean-up efforts.

Prof Paul Dale, who oversees SEPA's radioactive substances team, emphasised the importance of the successful remediation. He stated: "The completion of this work is significant for Dalgety Bay and for Scotland's environment.

"SEPA have been clear in our requirements that remediation would be done once, and it would be done right, providing a permanent and positive resolution for the communities who lived with the environmental legacy of Second World War radium contamination for several decades."

Today, Dalgety Bay thrives as a commuter town, with many of its residents making the daily journey to Edinburgh. Despite its proximity to the capital, house prices in Dalgety Bay remain more affordable compared to the capital's soaring property market.