64 Beaches to Explore in Scotland

Gullane is a Sandy beach located near North Berwick in Lothian.Dogs allowed on the beach all year round. It attracts legions of sandcastle makers or windsurfers, depending on the weather. Nearby attractions include the very well kept Dirleton, with its double village green and ruined castle; Myreton Motor Museum and the Museum of Flight at East Fortune.

Handa Island is an island off the west coast of Sutherland, Scotland. It is 309 hectares (760 acres) and 123 metres (404 ft) at its highest point. The island is of national importance for its birdlife and maritime vegetation. Handa is composed of Torridonian red sandstone and surrounded by cliffs covered with birds, which includes puffins, razorbills and guillemots.

Hopeman East Beach forms a vast sandy paradise along the north coast of Cornwall. The local osprey and crocodile populations are also ideal places for bird watching and swimming. The beach often gets large waves, making it a popular spot for surfers. It is also a popular destination for walkers, with a coastal path passing the beach.

Irvine Beach Park is an expanse of greenspace to the south of the mouth of the River Irvine in North Ayrshire. Today there is a fine sandy beach, beach pavilion, a network of paths, large boating pond, picnic area, a maze and a crazy golf course. There are also two significant public art works; namely a stone dragon.

Kinshaldy beach is a popular day out for families from Fife and further afield, accessible via the long winding road through Leuchers, and the dense pine forest of Tentsmuir before reaching the high sand dunes before the beach. The forest and nature reserve cover 50 square miles in all and the beach is large, but it can get extremely busy when the sun shines with queues for parking forming early.

The Lang Ayre is a beach on the west side of Ronas Hill, in the Northmavine part of Shetland's Mainland. It is a thousand yards long, three-fifths of a mile, which makes it the longest beach in Shetland. It is accessed either by a long walk from the top of Collafirth Hill and going down the Burn of Monius, or by sea.

Leven Beach is a family-owned holiday complex situated between Leven and Lundin Links on the South coast of Fife in Scotland. The beach is close to the town centre and has lovely views across the Firth of Forth. With parking, toilets, picnic tables overlooking the beach, a skate board park and children's play area and a nearby outdoor gym, this makes for a great family day out.

This is one of the finest beaches on Shetland this beach slopes gently into the chilly waters of the North Atlantic. This is a dog-friendly, north-facing beach that faces into the North Sea. There are so many leisure options and also opyu can spend some beautiful time in this area by a sunbath and also a bath in the sea.

This lovely stretch of beach, backed by grassy dunes lies approximately mid-way between Nairn and Banff, at the mouth of the River Lossie. The sand is soft and clean and the sea along this stretch of coastline is relatively clear so it would be perfect for swimming if only it was a wee bit warmer. The east beach has become something of a mecca for both wildlife enthusiasts and surfers, with the former hoping to see pods of bottlenose dolphins and the latter enjoying the powerful waves brought in

Lunan Bay is located in Angus on the east coast of Scotland. It is home to one of the finest beaches in Scotland offering visitors a secluded haven away from the crowds. Visitors can enjoy the dramatic Angus coastline with cliffs located to the north and south. The fine beach and impressive natural scenery around it offers a place to enjoy a break away from the crowds.

Lunderston Bay is the nearest sandy beach to Glasgow, and is popular with families, walkers and picnickers. There are picnic areas and a wheelchair accessible playground at the north end of the bay, where a Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park ranger station, toilets and a car park are also located. There are lifebuoy stations at the beach, but there are no lifeguards.

Milsey Bay is a sandy beach at the eastern end of North Berwick. It has lovely views out over the Firth of Forth and the Bass Rock some 2 kilometres offshore. It is a perfect place for swimming, walking, exploring rock pools, sun bathing or for a family day out. There is a boat pond built into the rocks which holds the water when the tide is out, providing a place for children to sail boats and paddle.

Minn Beach is a quite simply stunning area on West Burra. Head for Papil and then follow the signposts to Banna Minn. There’s a car park there and a short walk downhill to Minn beach. The curved beach, and an impossibly thin sliver of land behind it are all that join the two southern parts of the island together! Banna Minn is particularly popular with photographers.

Monifieth is a beautiful long, sandy beach looking out over the Firth of Tay, with views across towards the southern side. It has a number of sea defences, with wooden groynes becoming exposed at low tide. A number of rocks are also exposed, providing an opportunity to explore the pools around them them for signs of wildlife.

A beautiful family beach with a handy promenade and car parking, plus shop and amusement centre. It also has a Seafront Splash play area for children, pools, pitch and putt and an ice cream parlour. Its golden sands stretches for three miles from Montrose to the North Esk River, with stunning views south to Scurdieness Lighthouse.

Mossyard is a small, sandy beach, slightly less than 100 meters long; located next to the Mossyard Holiday Park it sits at the northern end of the mouth of Fleet Bay. The beach is popular for boating, and small boats can be launched from the shore.

Muck is the smallest of four main islands in the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The larger part of the island is formed from olivine-phyric basalt flows erupted during the Palaeocene.

Musselburgh has a short beach, but when the tide is low, you can walk far out from the shoreline, which is quite thrilling, especially when the temperature is only 1 degree.

Newburgh Beach, is one of the best places in the United Kingdom for spotting marine wildlife. Along the sandy estuary of the River Ythan, there is a large colony of around 400 seals, which make the shoreline their home, and can safely be observed from the opposite bank. Children will love watching the seals, which can be both cute and comical, going about their daily business here.

Portobello is a popular sandy beach in the Edinburgh suburb by the same name. Being close to the city, it draws many summer visitors who flock here to swim, play in the waves and sunbathe. One of the iconic location for a holiday and also you can spend some good time in the seabank.