An impressive 52 beaches across Scotland have been hounered at Scotland’s Beach Awards 2026, with seven of them in East Lothian.
On the back of a week of warm and sunny weather environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful's annual list celebrates the achievements of well managed beaches across Scotland, which beauty spots from Shetland to South Ayrshire winning awards.
In order to achieve Scotland’s Beach Awards, a range of criteria must be met, including beach safety, access and facilities, and cleanliness. Focusing on local environmental quality, the award is designed to complement the work undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on bathing water quality.
For the 20th year, Aberdeen Ballroom Beach has achieved award status, along with Aberdeenshire’s Stonehaven and Inverboyndie and Coldingham Beach in the Scottish Borders, while Lunan Bay in Angus celebrates its 10th year as an award-winning beach.
Fife retains its title as the region with the most awards, boasting 13 winning beaches. Aberdeenshire follows with eight beaches receiving the award.
Barry Fisher, CEO at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Scotland's Beach Awards are the benchmark for quality, celebrating clean, well-managed and sustainable beaches. Our award-winning beaches are all beautiful but seeing that flag flying means visitors can be assured that they are being looked after for people and nature.
“It is amazing to see the consistency of standards and continuation of award status matters to those who apply year after year, and I’d like to thank all those, in councils and communities, who do so much to protect, maintain and enhance our beaches, protecting the sand and sea for us all to enjoy.
A map showing all the award-winning beaches with directions, facilities and images can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/beach
Scroll through our gallery to see 10 beaches near Edinburgh named in Scotland’s Beach Awards 2026, with review notes from Keep Scotland Beautiful.
1. Longniddry Bents in Gosford
This stretch of Longniddry Bents is an ideal spot for bird-watching - as oystercatchers and ringed plovers flock in the area. The sandy and rocky beach, near Gosford House, is also known for its rich plant life. | Local Library
2. Dunbar East Beach
Dunbar East Beach was just one of the East Lothian beauty spots granted the prestigious Scotland’s Beach Award. This beautiful beach, which has plenty of rock pools to explore, is only a five minute walk from Dunbar's High Street. | Local Library
3. Belhaven Bay
Belhaven Bay, near Dunbar, is a lovely spot for walks, sunbathing and picnics. The wide sandy beach, which is a 40 minute drive from the Capital, has gorgeous views of the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock. | Local Library
4. North Berwick Milsey Bay
This award-winning beach in North Berwick has stunning views of the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock. Milsey Bay is a lovely spot for a family day-out, with lots of rock pools to explore and sandy spots for a picnic. | Local Library