Summer is fast approaching and there’s no better time than the present to start planning a touring trip around Scotland’s top beach spots. With 70 per cent of Brits agreeing they’d prefer regular UK breaks over annual overseas trips, Scotland has plenty to offer.
Scotland boasts an array of pristine beaches, sandy coastlines and offshore islands waiting to be explored. To help you choose where to pitch up this season, the team at VisitScotland have compiled a list of the best seaside gems to visit this touring season.
Home to some of the cheapest pitching spots in the UK, there are plenty of sites to park your leisure vehicle or pitch a tent around Scotland, so you can take in all that it has to offer.
First on the list is Portobello Beach in Edinburgh, a great spot if you want to combine a city getaway with the best that nature has to offer.
Waterfront Place in Dundee and Aberdeen Beach are two more urban seafronts to snag places on the list.
For those looking to take the kids on a family road trip, there are plenty of options to choose from. Nairn Beach in the Highlands is especially popular, attracting visitors all year round but particularly in the summer months. You might even catch sight of some dolphins among the waves.
Another family-friendly seaside location is Lunderston Bay near Glasgow, which offers sandy shores and rocky enclaves ideal for building sandcastles and rock pooling. Or head further south to Brighouse Bay in Dumfries and Galloway on the South West Coastal 300 route.
For those with an adventurous spirit, check out Loch Morlich in Aviemore which, although technically not a beach, has plenty to offer by the way of sandy beaches and forests. Here you can take part in a variety of lakeside activities or get your adrenaline pumping on a mountain bike trail.
If you want to relax and take in breathtaking scenery, Calgary Beach on Mull is surrounded by cliffs and offers exceptional views of Coll and Tiree. Balephuil Bay on the Isle of Tiree is a favourite spot for surfers and its turquoise waters and white-shell shores are why it’s known as the “Hawaii of the North”.
Photo credit: Petia Koleva / Unsplash
