North Berwick and Edinburgh’s Portobello named among UK's best seaside towns to live in

North Berwick, which was recently name the best place to live in the UK by The Times, has again made the list, along with Portobello in Edinburgh in which it said every ‘cool young family now wants to live’.

The report compiled a list of the top 20 coastal towns and suburbs across the UK - from ‘commutable towns’ to ‘wild escapes’ with each location having ‘something to offer in every season’. Nairn and Arisaig in the Highlands were the other two Scottish destinations to make the list.

The Times said North Berwick ‘has everything you want for a life by the sea’ citing the town’s beautiful beaches and transport links with Edinburgh along with its ‘brilliant high street packed with independent shops, natural beauty all around and excellent schools’.

 

Portobello in Edinburgh and North Berwick in East Lothian were named as some of the UK's best seaside areas to live in | National World and Jane Barlow

The Times said: “You’ll see swimmers in the water and dog-walkers on the sand all year round, but it’s in summer that the town really comes into its own. There’s a summer solstice beach bonfire, the Fringe by the Sea festival brings in the crowds for cultural high jinks and the lobster shack serves its famous lobster rolls.”

Using Land Registry data provided by Savills, they recorded the average house price in North Berwick to be £460,000.

The report said Portobello is now an area where ‘every artist, author and cool young family now wants to live’ - a stark difference from 20 years ago. It found the average house price is now £303,208 and described Portobello as ‘one of Edinburgh’s most fought-over addresses’.

It said: “The beach — with kayaking and volleyball in summer, bonfires in winter and swimming all year round — is the big draw. The useful high street has more than its fair share of artisans and indie establishments.

“Pizza from Civerinos Slice Bar and seafood from Shrimpwreck ensure that foodies don’t need to take the 20-minute bike ride or 30-minute bus journey into the city centre for seriously good grub.”

To see the full list of the UK’s top 20 seaside areas to live in you can visit The Times website.