Category guide
Beaches in Scotland
Scotland's coastline, from city-adjacent sands to properly remote stretches worth the drive.
A good beach day here doesn't need much planning — sand, water and space to run are usually the whole appeal, and it costs nothing beyond parking.
Facilities vary a lot more than the sand does: some of these have cafes, toilets and lifeguards in summer, others are a car park and a path, so it's worth checking the practical details before you pack the whole beach kit.
Read our guide: The best family beaches in Scotland
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Fife
West Sands Beach
Long sandy beach in St Andrews popular for walks and family days out.
Angus And Dundee
Broughty Ferry Beach
Popular sandy beach with castle views and family-friendly walks.
Angus And Dundee
Monifieth Beach
Long sandy beach perfect for family walks and picnics.
Fife
East Sands Beach St Andrews
Family-friendly sandy beach with play park nearby and views over St Andrews Bay.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Silver Sands Beach Aberdeen
Popular sandy beach with dunes and coastal walks.
Moray And Speyside
Roseisle Beach
Beautiful Moray coast beach with forest trails and picnic areas.
Cairngorms
Loch Morlich Beach
Sandy freshwater beach surrounded by Cairngorm mountains.
Edinburgh And Lothians
Portobello Beach
Edinburgh's sandy seaside promenade popular with families.
Edinburgh And Lothians
North Berwick Beach
Sandy beach with views of Bass Rock and nearby play parks.
Edinburgh And Lothians
Yellowcraig Beach
Beautiful beach with woodland trails and views of Fidra island.
Dumfries And Galloway
Southerness Beach
Wide sandy beach on the Solway Firth with views across the coastline and lighthouse nearby.
Ayrshire And Arran
Irvine Beach Park
Large seafront park with play areas, dunes and views across the Firth of Clyde.
Ayrshire And Arran
Brodick Beach
Pebble and sand beach with views across Brodick Bay and Goatfell.
Ayrshire And Arran
Corrie Beach
Small scenic beach and harbour village perfect for exploring rock pools.
Ayrshire And Arran
Laggan Sands
Wide sandy beach near Kilmory ideal for family beach days and wildlife spotting.
Ayrshire And Arran
Pirnmill Beach
Quiet west coast beach known for sunsets and coastal walks.
Ayrshire And Arran
Whiting Bay Beach
Family-friendly beach with views of Holy Isle and nearby cafes.
Ayrshire And Arran
Sannox Beach
Quiet coastal beach north of Brodick popular for walking and wildlife spotting.
Ayrshire And Arran
Kildonan Beach
Beautiful beach with views of Ailsa Craig and nearby seals often seen on the rocks.
Ayrshire And Arran
Millport Beach
Popular sandy and pebble beach along Millport promenade with views across the Firth of Clyde.
Ayrshire And Arran
Fintry Bay
Quiet scenic bay on the west side of Cumbrae popular for picnics and wildlife spotting.
Ayrshire And Arran
Cumbrae Picnic Beach
Quiet coastal picnic spot along the island road popular with cyclists.
Highlands
Dores Beach, Loch Ness
Shingle beach on the shore of Loch Ness with a beer garden and Nessie-spotting views.
Moray And Speyside
Findhorn Beach
Long sandy beach and dunes at the mouth of Findhorn Bay.
Moray And Speyside
Lossiemouth East Beach
Popular sandy beach reached over a footbridge across the River Lossie.
Angus And Dundee
Arbroath Beach and Signal Tower Museum
Sandy beach beside the harbour, next to a free museum in the old signal tower.
Perthshire
Kenmore, Loch Tay
Pretty village at the head of Loch Tay with a beach, watersports and short walks.
Scottish Borders
Eyemouth Beach
Sandy harbour-town beach with rockpools and a museum telling the story of the 1881 fishing disaster.
Dumfries And Galloway
Sandyhills Beach
Wide sandy beach on the Solway coast, backed by dunes and popular with families.
Outer Hebrides
Luskentyre Beach
Vast white sand beach on Harris, regularly named one of the best in Britain.
Ayrshire And Arran
Girvan Beach
Long sandy beach with views out to Ailsa Craig, next to Girvan's harbour and amusements.
Ayrshire And Arran
Saltcoats Beach
Sandy North Ayrshire beach with promenade, popular for family visits.
Ayrshire And Arran
Troon Beach and Harbour
Sandy beach and working harbour in the seaside town of Troon.
Ayrshire And Arran
Prestwick Beach
Sandy beach running along Prestwick's seafront, popular for family walks.
Ayrshire And Arran
Barassie Beach
Quieter sandy beach north of Troon, backed by dunes.
Ayrshire And Arran
Ayr Beach
Long sweep of sand along Ayr's seafront, looking out to Arran.
Ayrshire And Arran
Maidens Beach
Small sandy beach beside the fishing village of Maidens, near Turnberry.
Ayrshire And Arran
Ardneil Bay, Seamill
Sandy bay near Seamill and West Kilbride with views to Arran and the Cumbraes.
Ayrshire And Arran
Blackwaterfoot
Small coastal village on Arran's west coast with a beach, harbour and golf course.
Ayrshire And Arran
Machrie Bay
Quiet sandy beach on Arran's west coast, near the Machrie Moor stone circles.
Scottish Borders
Coldingham Bay
Sandy Berwickshire beach popular with families and, further out, surfers.
Fife
Burntisland Beach
Wide sandy beach on the Fife coast at Burntisland, backed by a Victorian promenade and links.
Edinburgh And Lothians
Cramond and Cramond Island
Picturesque Edinburgh village with a beach, harbour and a tidal causeway walk out to Cramond Island.
Moray And Speyside
Buckie West Beach
Sandy beach on the Moray coast at Buckie, backed by a working fishing harbour.
Skye
Coral Beach, Claigan
Unusual white beach near Dunvegan made from bleached coralline algae rather than sand.
Outer Hebrides
Uig Sands
Vast, sweeping sandy beach on the west coast of Lewis, one of the most spectacular in the Outer Hebrides.
Outer Hebrides
Traigh Mhor, Barra
Remarkable beach on Barra that doubles as the island's airport runway, with scheduled flights landing on the sand.
Argyll And The Isles
Ganavan Sands
Sandy beach just outside Oban, with views over the bay and a popular spot for family picnics.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Stonehaven Beach
Long sandy beach at Stonehaven, with a Victorian promenade, harbour and heated open-air swimming pool nearby.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Fraserburgh Beach
Wide sandy beach at Fraserburgh, backed by dunes, with views towards Kinnaird Head lighthouse.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Cruden Bay Beach
Sweeping sandy beach at Cruden Bay, overlooked by the dramatic ruins of Slains Castle.
Angus And Dundee
Carnoustie Beach
Long sandy beach at Carnoustie, backed by one of Scotland's most famous championship golf links.
Highlands
Nairn Beach
Long sandy beach at Nairn on the Moray Firth, popular for its Blue Flag status and gently shelving sand.