Seacliff in East Lothian named as best beach in Scotland in 2025 Sunday Times guide

An East Lothian beach has been named the best in Scotland in the annual Times and Sunday Times Best UK Beaches guide.

Seacliff was crowned the best in Scotland in the 17th edition of the list, which ranks the UK’s 50 best mainland beaches.

Other Scottish beaches featured on the list include Rhu Point, Vestey’s Beach, Achininver and Melvich in the Highlands, Spey Bay and Cullen Bay in Moray, and St Cyrus in Aberdeenshire.

Chief travel writer Chris Haslam selected the UK’s top 50 beaches from a total of 756 on a month-long campervan tour of the British and Northern Irish coasts.

In his description of Seacliff, he said: “Hidden at the west end is the smallest harbour in the British Isles.

“About the size of a hotel pool, it’s a steampunk fantasy cut out of the sandstone using a steam engine and a compressor in 1890 by laird of the manor Andrew Laidlay.

“Seacliff is the beach you wish you’d found when you were ten: a Scottish stageset where you can be a medieval knight, a Victorian explorer, a ghostbuster or even James Bond.”

The overall UK winner was Portstewart Strand in County Derry, Northern Ireland.

The guide ranked UK seaside spots based on an 11-point checklist that includes water quality, cleanliness, accessibility, parking, lifeguard presence, restroom hygiene, and dog-friendliness.

Times and Sunday Times’ Best Beaches in Scotland

• Seacliff, East Lothian
• Rhu Point, Highland
• Vesteys Beach, Highland
• Achininver, Highland
• Melvich, Highland
• Spey Bay, Moray
• Cullen Bay, Moray
• St Cyrus, Aberdeenshire