Travel news
With the school holidays here and the weather finally improving, it is time to start thinking about your summer staycation destinations.
Scotland is home to some of the most beautiful natural landscapes, and its beaches are not to be missed. Holidu, the search engine for holiday rentals, recommends the top-10 must-visit beaches in Scotland, creating the perfect bucket list to start planning your trip...
1. Portobello Beach, Edinburgh –12,100 searches per month (spm). The beach promenade is lined with cafes, restaurants and ice cream shops. Edinburgh is the perfect city break and a beach holiday all rolled into one.
2. Luskentyre Beach, Harris – 8,100 spm. White sand, crystal clear water and mountain views. Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris brings Caribbean vibes.
3. Sandwood Bay, Sutherland – 6,600 spm. With 1.5 miles of wide pink sand backed by huge sand dunes and a freshwater loch, it’s widely considered to be one of the most unspoilt beaches in mainland Britain.
4. Camusdarach Beach, Arisaig – 5,400 spm. An arc of white, glistening sand and clear water, Casmusdarach boasts unrivalled views of the Isle of Skye, Rum and Eigg. Enjoy swimming, rock pooling or a relaxing walk along the beach.
5. Achmelvich Bay, Ullapool – 4,400 spm. Achmelvich Beach is a stunning, Blue Flag white sandy beach, this is a popular spot with water skiers, windsurfers and kayakers.
6. Cramond Beach, Edinburgh – 4,400 spm. This small sandy beach is a favourite with families, runners, dog walkers and cyclists who can enjoy the views of the beach from the promenade.
7. Lunan Bay, Angus – 4,400 spm. Backed by sand dunes and features low cliffs to the north and south, Lunan Bay is popular with surfers and horse riders, and steeped in history, with its visitors including Viking armies in the 10th Century.
8. Gullane Beach, Gullane – 3,600 spm. With excellent views of the Firth of Forth, it’s a popular location for windsurfing and kite flying, as well as picnics and family days out.
9. Coldingham Bay, Scottish Borders - 3,600 spm. This 1km beach is made up of clean sand and plenty of grassy areas, perfect for soaking up the sunshine. Kids will enjoy a day spotting hermit crabs in the rock pools
10. Pease Bay, Scottish Borders – 3,600 spm. A notable surfing holiday destination, it’s ideally located with the Berwickshire coastline only a short drive from Edinburgh and within easy reach of north-east England.