Beach litter

However, I would like to make clear that the assertion made in the article – that it was possible to classify certain beaches as the dirtiest in Scotland in a “list of shame” – is incorrect. It is not possible to rank them in this way; your reporter was not provided with sufficient information to make such a judgment.

Such reporting potentially gives an unfair impression for the localities where the surveys were carried out. In fact, some of the beaches mentioned (such as Monifieth) were less blighted by litter than many other beaches.

In short, too much litter is ending up on Scotland’s shores, and the problem is shared by all beaches around our coastline.

This survey and clean-up is only possible to carry out with the goodwill and hard work of volunteers, and reporting their findings accurately is essential to ensure their future commitment, and to secure the agreement of beach owners to willingly take part in the surveys.

Richard Harrington

Marine Conservation Society

Chester Street

Edinburgh