Drone Flying Rules in Tenby — Pembrokeshire Coast & Historic Town Restrictions (2026)

Tenby Within the National Park

Tenby is located within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. While the Park Authority does not impose a blanket ban on drone flying, you must have permission from the landowner of the ground where your drone takes off and lands. In and around Tenby, land ownership is split between Pembrokeshire County Council, the National Trust, private owners, and the Ministry of Defence.

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has published drone guidance that applies throughout the park, including Tenby. The guidance emphasises the importance of maintaining Visual Line of Sight, respecting wildlife, and obtaining permission before flying.

Tenby Beaches

Tenby has three main beaches: North Beach, Castle Beach, and South Beach. All three are managed by Pembrokeshire County Council.

Summer Season Challenges

Tenby is one of the busiest seaside resorts in Wales. During the peak summer months from June to September, the beaches can be packed with thousands of visitors. Under the CAA Drone Code, you must maintain a minimum 50-metre horizontal distance from uninvolved people when flying drones over 250g. On a crowded Tenby beach, this is effectively impossible.

Even with a sub-250g drone, where the people-distance rules are more relaxed, you must not endanger anyone. Flying over crowded beaches creates risks from potential loss of control, battery failure, or signal interference, and is strongly discouraged.

Early Morning and Off-Season Flying

Your best opportunity for beach drone flying in Tenby is early morning before the crowds arrive, or during the quieter months from October to March. North Beach is typically less crowded than South Beach during shoulder season. Always check tide times, as some beach areas become submerged at high tide, limiting your available take-off and landing space.

Tenby Castle and Town Walls

Tenby Castle ruins and the medieval town walls are scheduled monuments managed by Cadw, the Welsh Government historic environment service. Cadw does not allow recreational drones to take off or land on its properties. This means you cannot launch from the castle headland, the castle grounds, or from the town walls themselves.

If you fly near the castle from adjacent land where you have permission, you must still exercise extreme caution. If a drone strikes the historic fabric of a scheduled monument, this may be treated as a heritage crime and reported to the police, the CAA, or the Welsh Government Central Safety Team. The castle headland is also a popular viewpoint with visitors, adding people-proximity concerns.

Penally MOD Range

Penally MOD range is located immediately south of Tenby, between the town and the village of Penally. This is a military training area where drone flying is not permitted. When the range is active, red flags are displayed. Even when the range appears quiet, you should not fly within or near the range boundary without first confirming with the MOD that no exercises are scheduled.

The proximity of Penally range to Tenby means that flights from the southern end of South Beach or the coastal path towards Penally could potentially enter restricted military airspace. Always check the MOD firing schedule and verify your planned flight path does not cross the range boundary.

Caldey Island

Caldey Island lies approximately one nautical mile off the Tenby coast and is a popular day-trip destination. The island is privately owned by the Cistercian monks of Caldey Abbey. You would need permission from the community to fly a drone on the island.

The island and its surrounding waters support important populations of breeding seabirds and grey seals. Disturbing these species is a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The seabird breeding season runs from April to August, and grey seals pup on the beaches from August through November. Flying a drone from the mainland towards Caldey Island is also problematic as you would quickly exceed Visual Line of Sight range.

Wildlife Protection

The Tenby coastline is part of a wider network of Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Protected species in the area include:

• Seabirds: Guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes nest on cliffs along the coast.
• Grey seals: Present year-round but particularly sensitive during the autumn pupping season.
• Choughs: Rare red-billed corvids that breed on coastal cliffs.

The Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum recommends keeping a minimum distance of 150 metres from seabird colonies and seal haul-out sites. If birds show signs of disturbance or seals begin entering the water, land your drone immediately.

Airspace Considerations

Tenby is not within the FRZ of a major airport, but be aware of the following:

• Haverfordwest Airport: Located approximately 15 miles north-west of Tenby. Check the FRZ boundary if flying north of town.
• Manorbier MOD Range: Located west along the coast. The range may activate Temporary Danger Areas during military exercises.
• Castlemartin Range: Further west, the largest MOD range in Pembrokeshire. Live firing can affect the wider airspace.

Always verify the current airspace status using the NATS Drone Assist app or the CAA interactive airspace map before every flight.

CAA Registration Requirements

All standard UK drone rules apply in Tenby under the Air Navigation Order 2016 and the ATMUA Act 2021:

• Flyer ID: Required for any drone weighing 250g or more, or any camera-equipped drone from 100g.
• Operator ID: Required for drones 250g or more. Must be displayed on the drone.
• Maximum altitude of 120 metres above ground level.
• Maintain Visual Line of Sight at all times.
• Minimum 50 metres from uninvolved people for drones over 250g.

Fines of up to 2,500 pounds apply for breaches of drone registration and flying rules.

Key Points to Remember

1. Tenby beaches are extremely crowded in summer, making safe drone flying practically impossible during peak hours.
2. Tenby Castle and town walls are Cadw scheduled monuments where recreational drone take-off and landing is prohibited.
3. Penally MOD range is immediately south of town. Check firing schedules before any flight.
4. Maintain at least 150 metres from seabird colonies and seal haul-out sites along the coast.
5. Caldey Island requires landowner permission and has significant wildlife restrictions.
6. Register with the CAA and always check airspace maps and MOD schedules before flying.