64 Beaches to Explore in Scotland

Checkout places to visit in Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Mainland Scotland has a 96 mile (154 km) border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast, and the Irish Sea to the south. Scotland includes more than 790 islands.

Beaches by destinations in Scotland

East Lothian Council (13)

Shetland Islands (7)

Aberdeenshire (6)

Dumfries and Galloway (6)

South Ayrshire Council (6)

Popular Activities And Trips in Scotland

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Beaches to Explore in Scotland

Annan beach is a shingle beach and an important wildlife area. It offers visitors a good chance to stretch the legs whilst enjoying views over the marsh and its wildlife. This rural beach is backed mostly by fields. This beach is perfect for a family day out, and if you’ve got little animal lovers, it’s perfect for trying to spot some wildlife.

A beautiful sandy beach which was located in the heart of SOuth ayrshire and it is famous among the tourists by its cleanliness and also it is a family friendly beach.

One of Scotland's longest beaches it stretches south for 14 miles from the mouth of the River Ythan to the River Don at Aberdeen. The easiest place to reach the beach is from the Balmedie Country Park, 8 miles north of Aberdeen and signposted off the A90. Here there is an attractive cark park, picnic area and play park. Boardwalk paths lead through the sand dunes to the beach.

Balmedie is a flat sandy beach with sand dunes to the rear of the beach. At the back of the beach is a substantial area of sand dunes, where the principal vegetation is marram grass, but also contains a range of other plants at home in this type of environment.

Barassie Beach is situated just round the bend in the coast, from Troon Beach, meaning it does not get nearly as busy as Troon beach. It is a long, wide and mostly flat, sandy beach, although its expanse depends largely on the tide. At low tide there is a vast area for visitors explore, but when the tide comes in, water covers most of the beach.

Black Sands is a small sandy, shingle, quiet, tranquil and secluded stretch of sand with rocky outcrops nestling on the south side of the village of Aberdour next to the harbour. The beach is a fun place to visitand to take in the views of the Firth of Forth. Its natural features make it popular with the visitor and locals alike providing an ideal natural retreat.

This is a white sand beach in the North of Yell, which has the largest area of shell sand dune and dune grassland in Shetland. The beach is well sheltered from most wind directions and the dunes provide an infinite variety of picnic places on good days. The sand, a mixture of rock and shell particles, is piled deep and shelves quite steeply.

Broughty Ferry Beach

This broad sandy beach at the mouth of the Tay estuary lies just to the east of the impressive Broughty Castle. As its name suggests Broughty Ferry was once a ferry port. Before the completion of the first Tay Rail. Easy access from a promenade, a nature conservation site and great views across the Tay estuary to the North Fife coast.

Canty Bay is a coastal hamlet with two beaches separated by a rocky headland. The western beach is uninhabited and accessible by two paths that descend the grass covered cliffs from the eastern end of the Glen golf course. The eastern beach is by the hamlet. The Canty Bay Inn offered hospitality to the tourists who came to see the Bass Rock. The tenant of the Rock was usually also the innkeeper.

Carnoustie Beach

The small pretty beach in Carnoustie is located just a few minutes walking distance from the train station and town centre. The beach slopes gently into the sea, and at high tide the water can come all the way up to the sea wall. At low tide the distance to the water’s edge can be as much as 300 metres, so it is best to check the tide times before visiting.

A beautiful and small sandy beach separated from the rest of the much larger Fleet Bay to the north by a rocky headland which is about 200 meters long. It offers excellent views of the surrounding wild and mountainous headlands and coastline.The sheltered bay, about 100 meters wide, can be used for bathing and water sports such as canoeing. However, most visitors come to the area for the fantastic walking opportunities.

Cullen is an attractive, golden sandy beach to the west of the village of the same name. The beach is perhaps best known for its rock formation. The beach is also popular for water sports such as surfing and sailing, and for fishing, and walking. Cullen Bay is well sheltered by the surrounding cliffs and moray dolphins are often spotted from the beach and bay. There are plenty of shops in Cullen town centre, however in the summer months the beach is often serviced by an ice cream van.

This small sandy beach with rock pools is just south of the historic harbour in the middle of the town. Public toilets and car parking nearby .Dog friendly. The beach is quite popular with kayakers and a surf school runs paddle boarding sessions here.

This pebbly beach continues into sand when walking in a westward direction. Admire the pretty dunes and look out for birds and the famous resident Moray Firth bottlenose dolphins. It has traditionally been a popular location for surfers. There are also so many things to do here.

The town’s East Beach is a mix of sand and shingle stretching south-east from the harbour. The beach is quite popular with kayakers and a surf school runs paddle boarding sessions here. One of the iconic location for a holiday trip and also it is a family friendly beach.

Findhorn is one of the more popular beaches along the Moray coastline thanks to the long, unspoilt sandy stretch of the shore and the natural beauty of this spot. It is a good place to see seals hauled out at low tide on the sandbank at the mouth of the River Findhorn. The top of the beach is shingle, so at high tide there is little sand exposed. The village itself has a couple of good pubs, a restaurant and a cafe.Public Toilets.

Fraserburgh beach

Fraserburgh is a long, golden, sandy beach starting at the south-eastern end of the town and stretching along the Aberdeenshire coastline to the point where the Moray Firth meets the North Sea. The beach’s proximity to all the facilities and fine golden sand make it a popular spot for families and there is usually plenty of room for everyone.

This is a rural beach that offers wonderful coastal views and gloriously soft sands. Walk along the coast of Ganavan Bay, admiring the views of the islands of Mull and Lismore. Swim in the waters off the coast carefully. The coastal and quiet road from Oban to Ganavan Sands is widely used by the local community for walks, running and cycling.

Map of Beaches to Explore in Scotland