Best Beaches in Scotland: Here are the 9 Scottish beaches that made the the Sunday Times UK top 50
Sunday Times chief travel writer Chris Haslam visited a remarkable 791 beaches on mainland Britain to collate the guide.
The little-known mile-long Sandhaven Beach, in South Shields on the north east coast of England, took home the title of Beach of the Year.
But there was also plenty of representation north of the border, with no less than nine Scottish beaches making the cut.
Rural beaches were rated for access, cleanliness and beauty, while urban beaches were marked up for criteria including bathing water quality, lifeguard provision, toilets and wildlife-management.
Here are the beaches you should be visiting this year, according to the guide. You can read about the full top 50 here.
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1. Big Sand
The Highland beach of Big Sand topped the Scottish regional list. The beach is four miles east of Gairloch, has views of Skye and the Torridon Mountains, and scored high for being dog-friendly, the nearby caravan park, toilets, and excellent water quality. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
2. Yellowcraig Beach
Part of the John Muir Way and easily acessed from the coastal tourist resort town of North Berwick, East Lothian's Yellowcraig Beach has spectacular ciews over the Forth to the lighthouse on Findra Island. It's another beach with excellent water quality backed by sund dunes and woodland. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
3. Sanna
Third place in Scotland went to the silver sands of the Highland beach of Sanna. It's a stunning stretch of coastline on tbhe Ardnamurchan peninsula with dramatic dine cliffs reaching up to three metres in height. With views of Eigg and Rum, it is easily accessed by car or via a lovely coastal walk from Portuairk. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
4. Rockcliffe
Sitting right by the roadside in the picturesque village of Rockcliffe near Dalbeattie, in Dumfries and Galloway, Rockcliffe is a small sandy beach with rocks surrounding it. Popular with walkers, at low tide the Rough Island wildlife reserve can be reached by causeway, while it's also a great sport for rockpooling. Photo: Canva/Getty Images