Scotland is a land of natural splendour; the heather-clad Cairngorms, freshwater lochs, and an astonishing coastline spanning 12,000 miles across islands, wave-whipped cliffs, sheltered coves and unbroken stretches of sand. If an escape to the wilderness is calling, you’ll be rewarded for your voyage with the snow white shores and azure waters of the north coast and remote Hebridean islands, including Skye and Harris. That said, there are plenty of see-it-to-believe-it golden strands to be found just across the border, making a sojourn to the Scottish seaside from the city spires of Edinburgh or Glasgow an all too easy reality.
Breathe in the salt air as the waves bellow, seabirds soar in the vast skies overhead, and wildflower machairs spill onto the sand. Whether you’re seeking bracing clifftop jaunts, secret wild swimming spots for sunrise snorkelling, or fossil hunting with the whole family (four-legged friends included), dipping your toe in Scotland’s wild waters has never been more tempting. Here are the top 10 beaches in Scotland.
Best for foodies
Elie Harbour, Fife
Scattered with whitewashed fishing cottages, their vibrant red pan-tiled roofs ablaze, Elie feels worlds away from Edinburgh, but takes just an hour by car. After crossing the Forth Bridge as the capital broods away in the distance, you’ll soon reach a place where two beaches merge into one; Elie Harbour, when joined at low tide by Earlsferry Beach, makes for a glorious mile-long expanse.
Together, they form a natural amphitheatre where cricket tournaments can play out in style; you’ll find Britain’s only permanent beach cricket team in these parts, with matches happening at low-tide throughout the summer season. After cries of ‘howzat’, swerve half-time oranges in favour of local fare at The Ship Inn, where you can dine on freshly-landed mussels and hunks of rosemary focaccia, or skewers from the barbecue when the weather plays ball.
Best for couples
Silver Sands of Morar, Fort William
This silver screen slice of Scotland has been stealing hearts ever since its starring role in Local Hero – and we can think of no better place for a bracing walk with your beau. Wile away an easy afternoon with the backdrop of volcanic Eigg and jagged Rum Cuillin to set the scene, before the sun bids adieu into the Atlantic beyond. If the stars align and bedtime doesn’t beckon quite yet, you might even spy the Northern Lights, too.
Best for bird watching
St Abbs, Scottish Borders
While Coldingham Bay deserves an entry in its own right (soft-as-sugar sands, some of Scotland’s most reliable surf and a shack to hire boards) twitchers should take the 10-minute jaunt along the coastal path to St. Abbs, a thriving fishing harbour home to thousands of native seabirds. Here sheer cliffs, deep gullies, and offshore stacks become thriving habitats from spring to early summer. Forgotten your Pocket Guide to British Birds? Fret not, the Nature Centre contains everything you need to know about these rare species.
Best for golfers
Gullane Beach, East Lothian
Set on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, Gullane is famed as the epicentre of links golf, with five courses within touching distance of the town’s sleepy centre. If you’re more picnics and parasols than par-4s and pins, fear not; Gullane also boasts a glorious swathe of halcyon sands backed by dunes scattered with sea buckthorn (known as ‘Gullane Bents’), which lure nature photographers in their droves throughout the seasons. Whether spending day in the fray or on the fairway, be sure to visit Gullane’s leading local for a fresh twist on Scottish classics (think haggis bon bons with wholegrain hollandaise) and craft ales from family-run microbreweries.
Best for hiking
Luskentyre Beach
Bahamian sands, cornflower seas, and mountains peppered with purple heather; it’s no wonder Luskentyre is so often crowned one of the best beaches in the UK. Spend at least one afternoon sprawled out on the sand before discovering all this Hebridean coastline has to offer; dip into the waters with giddy screams, discover hidden caves by kayak, or explore the miles upon miles of coastal paths. Afterwards source plump Scottish scallops straight from the boat for a beach barbecue par excellence.
Best for dolphin watching
Scarista Beach, Isle of Harris
Anywhere else in the world, the serene stretch of Scarista Beach would be packed; luckily, there's no signage or parking, which helps to keep this paradisal spot safe from the majority of tourists. The seas surrounding the peninsula are a haven for marine life, so bring your binoculars to peep pods of bottlenose dolphins diving through the wild Atlantic fray.
Best for snorkelling
Clachtoll Beach, Sutherland
A prime NC500 pit spot and the most northerly of the North West Highlands Snorkel Trail sites, Clachtoll Beach greets visitors with its crystalline shallows framed by foliate parcels of land; over 200 species of wildflowers grow here, injecting the breeze with elusive notes of citrus and sweet coconut. We’re all for wild swimming, but to enjoy this unspoilt bay at its best, it’s best to dive beneath the surface, where you’ll find mesmerising corals, kelp beds, and crustaceans playing house in their kaleidoscopic shells.
Best for culture
Saddell Bay, Kintyre
You’ll be in good company when drinking in the views from Saddell Bay, sweeping across the Kilbrannan Sound and Isle of Arran; Antony Gormley’s cast-iron ‘Grip’ sculpture is perched here, jutting out over the seaweed and rocks. The soundtrack to your day at Saddell might feature the littles’ laughter or dog’s scamper, but it’s also the scene where former Campbeltown resident, Paul McCartney, wrote and filmed Mull of Kintyre. Weave down winding roads towards home, with The Beatles on the radio lulling littles to slumber.
Best for families
Fidden Bay, Isle of Mull
Water babies flock to Fidden Bay to kayak and SUP between the archipelago of tidal islets and skerries that stretch towards Iona. Back on dry land, an afternoon of sandcastle competitions, kite-flying, and rockpool investigations in jelly shoes beckon. Spy seals basking on pink granite outcrops, turning cerise to carmine as the sun dips beneath the water, before heading home for fireside s’mores. Family days at Fidden have a knack for lingering long in the memory.
Best for adventurers
Uyea, Shetland
Connected to mainland Shetland by a wild tombolo beach, the uninhabited tidal island of Uyea looks like it stepped straight out of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Steep sloping cliffs and jagged skerries cast their spectral shadow over the sandbar, lapped by the North Sea on both sides. The hike through glaciated lakes is long, but rewarding; experienced climbers can descend the cliffside to feel the sand between their toes, but those in the know will watch seal pups playing on the rocks below, with a flask of freshly-brewed tea to warm the cockles.
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