Edinburgh's Portobello Beach named UK's second best coastal town

Portobello Beach attracts thousands of people every summer and so it is no surprise that it scooped second place in a list of the country’s best coastal areas and towns.

The Capital beach finished with an overall score of 94 out of 100, based on 6,307 reviews and an average 4.6 out of five visitor rating. With its sandy beach and two-mile-long promenade, buzzing bars, cafés, restaurants, bistros and bakeries, ‘Porty’ is a great place to visit for a family day out.

The area is ever-changing, with quirky independent shops and markets opening all the time – and as a result, it has become one of the most desirable places to live in the whole of the Capital.

Edinburgh’s Portobello Beach has been named the second best coastal area/ town in the UK. | PA

The study, by JoJo Maman Bébé, also ranked Edinburgh as the best family-friendly UK city, making it ideal for enjoying a weekend trip or ticking off a few attractions in one day. The Scottish Capital boasts 30 child-friendly attractions, the most of all the cities analysed, scoring 83 out of 100 for its pleasant atmosphere and how safe visitors felt while exploring.

Edinburgh hosts the top two free family-friendly attractions, with the National Museum of Scotland scoring 94.9 out of 100 and Holyrood Park 94.3, the only two Scottish attractions in the UK top 10 list.

Whitby topped the UK list, with a nearly perfect score of 98 out of 100. The Yorkshire beach has an average visitor rating of 4.7 out of 5, 6,699 reviews and can be accessed by train or car.

Portobello Beach in Edinburgh is a great place for families to visit.

Each beach has been ranked using Google Maps, looking at its overall visitor rating, how many reviews it has received, and the city or town it’s located near. A weighted rank was then calculated to give an overall beach score out of 100.

Scarborough Beach followed closely in third with a beach score of 91.6 with Brighton Beach, Bournemouth Beach, Cornwall’s Porthgwidden Beach, and Newquay’s Great Western Beach all featured in the top 10.