64 Beaches to Explore in Scotland

Powillimount Beach is a beach in Dumfries and Galloway. Powillimount Beach is situated south of Arbigland. It offers some spectacular views over the Solway Firth and on a clear day you can see the Lake District. It is a great beach to visit with curious kids as it is full of shells, rock pools and huge rock formations.

A beautiful beach which was located in the heart of East Lothian and It is a family friendly beach where you can spend some memorable time and also there are so many activities to do here.

Prestwick is a long, mostly sandy beach, with some pebbles, offering excellent views out over the Firth of Clyde across to the mountainous Isle of Arran. Behind the beach is the famous Prestwick Old Course venue of the first Open Championship.There are car parks at either end of the southern beach with toilets near the play area. The area is popular with golfers, and the northern end of the beach is backed by Prestwick Golf Club, whilst the Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club is at the southern end.

Sandyhills is a large sandy beach near Dalbeattie on the Dumfries and Galloway coastline. The beach lives up to its name and at low tide has a vast expanse of sand, backed by gentle sand dunes. The beach is the perfect spot for a walk, a paddle or a picnic. The beach can be very busy in the summer but nearby walks and attractions provide other opportunities to enjoy the local countryside.

Scapa bay is found on the southern coastline of Mainland Orkney. This pretty south-facing sandy beach is framed by cliffs with Scapa Distillery and Scapa Flow Control Centre being prominent features in the landscape. Scapa is just a mile or so from Kirkwall and is popular with walkers and visitors all year round.

Seton Sands beach is a large sand and rocky beach. The beach has some rock pools to explore as the tide goes out. The beach sits on a stretch of coast between Port Seton in the west to Longniddry in the East and just 30 minutes from Edinburgh. South of the beach there is Seton Sands Holiday Park, a popular holiday destination in the summer months for many visitors, mostly families from the west coast of Scotland and the north of England.

Aberdour Silver Sands is one of the most popular and attractive resorts on the Fife coast. The beach offers the freshness and variety of the seaside as well as the peace and tranquility of the countryside. The shore, in its charming setting, looks out to the islands of Inchmickery and Inchcolm, where there is a famous Abbey. The Fife Coastal Path passes by this beach and it has many facilities such as toilets, cafe, showers and picnic areas. Beach Lifeguards patrol the beach over the summer hol

A beautiful beach which has a fine cliff and also it is famous among tourists. The beach is of fine, white sand and is backed by a meadow hosting a profusion of wild flowers in spring and summer. There are excellent walks to be had on the low cliffs and headlands in this area.

A superb beach, which runs south from the cliffs and extraordinary rock formations below the village of St Cyrus, to the mouth of the North Esk River. It can be reached by a zigzag path down the cliff at St Cyrus, or, and this is the easiest option, from the visitor centre signposted off the A92. Admire magnificent cliffs and sand dunes as you stroll along this beautiful expanse of sand, which is accessible either from the cliff path or from the St Cyrus NNR Visitor Centre.

St. Ninians Isle beach is a large tombolo on the west coast of Shetland. The beach here is a long spit of fine sand connecting the small isle of St Ninian’s to Shetland. Made up largely of shell sand, the symmetrical curve sandbar can be seen from high ground, such as the Ward of Scousburgh. The beach is in a rural farming region, with an archaeological site located on St. Ninians Isle.

Stevenston is a sandy beach curving gently round a bay between Irvine and Saltcoats. The beach is backed by low, grassy dunes and lies in an area which has been designated as a Local Nature Reserve. The dunes here are a local Nature Reserve with an all abilities path and bridge. It is ranked as the fifth most important sand dune system in Ayrshire.

Stonehaven Bay is the perfect setting for a great day out. At just over one kilometer in length, the half-moon shaped bay features a busy working harbour, rocky outcrops towards the north and the sandy stretch towards the south, ideal for sunbathers. This particular beach is popular with watersports enthusiasts.

This superb beach stretches north for 5 miles from the mouth of the River Eden to the Tay estuary. Signposted off the A92, the beach is reached by a road through Tentsmuir Forest ending at a large informal car park with a good information centre, picnic area and a small play park.

Dhoon, sometimes known as Goat Well Bay, is a small sandy beach situated in a pleasant, wooded area looking out onto Nun Mill Bay at the mouth of the River Dee. The water is relatively shallow, and there are plenty of rock pools which can be fun to explore. The area is popular for walking, with the Senwick Shore walk easily accessed from the beach to the south of the car park.

This beautiful stretch of wide, sandy beach lies adjacent to the Torness nuclear power station, about 32 miles south of Edinburgh, just off the A1. The beach is about 400 metres long and is backed by low, grassy dunes. It is very popular with fishermen and is also used for bathing and windsurfing.

Troon beach is a stunning stretch of sand carved into a bay on the west coast of Scotland. The beach is well-maintained and on a clear day, you can see to the Isle of Arran. The beach is easy to access and the lively esplanade offers several popular restaurants and cafes.

A beautiful wide sandy beach in a rural surrounding, backed by the famous Ailsa Golf Course, a regular spot on the Open Championships. To the north of the beach, visitors can walk to Turnberry Lighthouse, now converted into a suite of the Trump Turnberry luxury hotel (yes, as in Donald), attached to the golf courses in the area.

Tyninghame Beach is long and sandy and often dubbed as one of the most impressive beaches in the South of Scotland. Walk through the woods along one of the many paths which wind their way through the links, finally emerging out onto the huge sandy bay with dramatic views of the Bass Rock. A wild expanse of golden sand backed by dunes the beach here is often deserted except for during the summer months.

Wemyss Bay is a rock and shingle beach, looking south over the bay of the same name and across the upper Firth of Clyde to the wild countryside of the surrounding area. It is the port for ferries on the Sea Road to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. Passengers from the island can connect to Glasgow by trains, which terminate in the village at the remarkable Wemyss Bay railway station, noted for its architectural qualities and regarded as one of Scotland's finest railway buildings.

The West sands beach at St Andrews is part of a stretch of natural coastline, in North East Scotland. The beach area is backed by a large expanse of sand dunes which provide natural protection from high tides and rising sea levels to the amenities, farmland and recreational assets beyond them. The dunes are part of the Eden Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary Special Area of Conservation.