Nostalgia: A shore-fire hit for generations of holidaymakers

With its golden sands, pretty coastline and thriving seaside community, Portobello was one of the country's premier beach resorts in the 1800s.

Something of a Scottish Monte Carlo, as residents elsewhere in the city dreamed of owning a home in the upmarket location.

Quite what our forefathers - who lined the beach in their hundreds when weather permitted - would have made of this week's news that 60,000 is to be spent moving sand from one side of the beach to the other can only be imagined. The figure has certainly left many present-day tax- payers gob-smacked.

However, the council stands by its plans to shell out to move 20,000 tonnes of sand less than a mile in a bid to shore up the city's flood defences. The work will be carried out in the spring, despite criticism from locals who have campaigned for years for money to be spent on other projects, such as the promenade and library.

Despite its enduring popularity, Portobello has definitely changed somewhat from its 19th century heyday, but many city residents will have fond memories of summers spent there playing on the beach, just as countless generations did before them.