Bathing water quality in Scotland
Scotland has 90 designated bathing waters. The regulator's latest classifications are 47 Excellent, 26 Good, 13 Sufficient and 3 Poor.
Updated June 2026
The cleanest beaches in Scotland
Rated Excellent or Good in the regulator's latest annual classification. Open any beach for today's live verdict.
Every bathing water in Scotland
Classification:Excellent Aberdeen Classification:Excellent Aberdour (Silversands) Classification:Excellent Aberdour Harbour (Black Sands) Classification:Excellent Achmelvich Classification:Excellent Anstruther (Billow Ness) Classification:Excellent Arbroath (West Links) Classification:Excellent Balmedie Classification:Excellent Broughty Ferry Classification:Excellent Carnoustie Classification:Excellent Carrick Classification:Excellent Crail (Roome Bay) Classification:Excellent Cruden Bay Classification:Excellent Cullen Bay Classification:Excellent Culzean Classification:Excellent Dornoch Classification:Excellent Dunnet Classification:Excellent Elie (Harbour) and Earlsferry Classification:Excellent Elie (Ruby Bay) Classification:Excellent Findhorn Classification:Excellent Fraserburgh (Philorth) Classification:Excellent Gairloch Beach Classification:Excellent Ganavan Classification:Excellent Gullane Classification:Excellent Kingsbarns Classification:Excellent Kirkcaldy (Seafield) Classification:Excellent Largs (Pencil Beach) Classification:Excellent Loch Morlich Classification:Excellent Lunan Bay Classification:Excellent Machrihanish Classification:Excellent Millport Bay Classification:Excellent Monifieth Classification:Excellent Montrose Classification:Excellent Nairn (Central) Classification:Excellent Nairn (East) Classification:Excellent Pease Bay Classification:Excellent Peterhead (Lido) Classification:Excellent Prestwick Classification:Excellent Rosehearty Classification:Excellent Rosemarkie Classification:Excellent Sand Beach Classification:Excellent Seacliff Classification:Excellent Seamill Classification:Excellent St Andrews (East Sands) Classification:Excellent Stonehaven Classification:Excellent Thorntonloch Classification:Excellent Troon (South Beach) Classification:Excellent Whitesands Classification:Good Barassie Classification:Good Brighouse Bay Classification:Good Broad Sands Classification:Good Coldingham Classification:Good Collieston Classification:Good Dores Classification:Good Dunbar (Belhaven) Classification:Good Ettrick Bay Classification:Good Fraserburgh (Tiger Hill) Classification:Good Inverboyndie Classification:Good Irvine Classification:Good Kinghorn (Pettycur) Classification:Good Leven Classification:Good Longniddry Classification:Good Lossiemouth (East) Classification:Good Lunderston Bay Classification:Good Luss Bay Classification:Good Mossyard Classification:Good North Berwick (Milsey Bay) Classification:Good North Berwick (West) Classification:Good Saltcoats/Ardrossan Classification:Good Sandyhills Classification:Good Seton Sands Classification:Good St Andrews (West Sands) Classification:Good Thurso Classification:Good Wardie Bay Classification:Sufficient Ayr (South Beach) Classification:Sufficient Burntisland Classification:Sufficient Dhoon Bay Classification:Sufficient Dunbar (East) Classification:Sufficient Eyemouth Classification:Sufficient Girvan Classification:Sufficient Heads of Ayr Classification:Sufficient Maidens Classification:Sufficient Portobello (Central) Classification:Sufficient Portobello (West) Classification:Sufficient Rockcliffe Classification:Sufficient Southerness Classification:Sufficient Yellow Craig Classification:Poor Fisherrow Sands Classification:Poor Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) Classification:Poor Lower Largo Classification:Unknown Ballachulish Penninsula
Common questions
- Which beach is cleanest in Scotland?
- Aberdeen holds an Excellent classification, the regulator's top tier. 73 of the 90 bathing waters in Scotland are rated Excellent or Good.
- How many bathing waters are in Scotland?
- 90. The regulator's latest classifications are 47 Excellent, 26 Good, 13 Sufficient and 3 Poor.