The busiest time of year for shopping is fast approaching and there are many deals to be had. However, it’s important to keep ourselves safe from hackers and scammers that target online shoppers.
Online safety expert Chris Bluvshtein at VPNOverview.com gives his top ten tips for keeping yourself safe while shopping online during the holidays.
Stick to websites you know
You might be tempted by a Google link promising an amazing deal but before you click, look at the name. If it’s not something you recognise, don’t go there. Hackers can use similar names to high-street brands to trick you into giving up your data so double check the site is the one you know. Google also tells you if you’ve visited the site before so it’s worth taking your time and checking for those details.
Check the URL bar
Every website should have a valid security certificate and you can tell by the little padlock icon next to the URL. If a website doesn’t have one of these then don’t give your bank details or valuable information.
Check your bank statements
You might not even be aware of your details being stolen until it’s too late, but by making it a habit to check your account and statements you’ll be able to catch any suspicious activity early on. Your bank will have information on any time limits they have for fraudulent purchases, so be sure to keep an eye on your statements.
Use a password manager
The safest thing you can do is use a unique, randomised password for all your accounts. But instead of writing those down on post-it notes or in notebooks, use a password manager to keep them all in one place. Password managers lock your information behind a master password and many of them autofill the website logins for you, keeping you safe from keylogger attacks.
Don’t shop on public Wi-Fi
You might be tempted to hop onto your favourite shopping site while having a coffee at your local cafe, but that public wi-fi connection is extremely dangerous to use. Public Wi-Fi rarely has safety protocols such as passwords in place and hackers can piggyback and steal unsecured banking details and sensitive information without you knowing.
Use mobile payments
Apps like Apple Pay and Google Pay can protect your banking details so if a website accepts them, it’s best to use them instead of your debit card.
Use a credit card
If something is high value, don’t use your debit card to pay for it. Consumer law in the UK means that you could get refunds or claim your money back if your card is stolen. Credit cards also have more protections than debit cards.
Set up a temporary bank account
By opening an online only bank account such as Revolut or Monzo, you can control the amount of money you have access to with transfers from your usual account. This way, even if your details are compromised, the hacker can’t do anything to your real bank account.
Use a VPN
A VPN protects your data from prying eyes. Everything you send is encrypted so even if a hacker can see you on a network, they won’t be able to access your sensitive information. VPNs connect you to a remote server and hide your IP, using one along with any of our other tips can make your online shopping super secure.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
Be careful with any adverts for amazing deals. You might never get the item or there could be hidden dangers. This old saying still rings true with online shopping.
Lisa Webb, Which? Consumer Law Expert, said: “Fraudsters are always on the lookout for new ways to part people from their hard-earned cash and unfortunately, the Black Friday sales are no exception.
“Scammers can easily set up fake websites so if you see a good offer from a company you don’t know, look online for reviews and do your research to make sure it’s genuine.
“If you think you’ve paid money to a scammer, you should report this to your bank and Action Fraud.
You may be able to claim back your money through the chargeback scheme if you used a debit card or use a section 75 claim if you paid by credit card and the value was more than £100.”
A group of employees from the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline recently participated in Scotland’s Memory Walk with the aim of raising money and awareness for Alzheimer Scotland.
Scotland’s Memory Walk is an annual event run by Alzheimer Scotland that encourages its supporters to unite across Scotland to walk in memory and in honour of loved ones with dementia.
The team started the fundraising walk at Edinburgh Airport, with the goal of finishing a 12-mile journey at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline in four hours.
The team arrived at the fulfilment centre after 5 hours, raising a final total of £2,200 for Alzheimer Scotland through the walk.
Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s national dementia charity. They aim to ensure nobody faces dementia alone by providing support and information for people living with dementia, their carers and their families in Scotland.
The donation from Amazon will be used to deliver social and therapeutic activities across Alzheimer Scotland’s 24 Dementia Resource Centres and within the community, ensure families are supported by Dementia Advisors, fund vital dementia research and keep their 24hr Freephone Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000) operating.
UNP – Amazon EDI4 – 44015 Memory Walk
From left, John Aitken, Aoife Considine with Juno, Murray Tweddle, Bonginkosi Ndlovu and Stuart Penny.
Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We are so proud of the team from Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in Scotland’s Memory Walk.
“Their efforts do not go unnoticed, and they should be very pleased with the amount they raised for such an important charity.”
John Aitken, an employee at Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in the fundraising walk, added: “I am very proud to have completed the walk, especially with such a great team by my side throughout the journey.
“Alzheimer Scotland is very close to my heart so it’s great that I could lend a helping hand to support the charity.”
UNP – Amazon EDI4 – 44015 Memory Walk
From left, John Aitken, Aoife Considine with Juno, Murray Tweddle, Bonginkosi Ndlovu and Stuart Penny.
Sarah Cheung, Stakeholder Engagement Leader for Alzheimer Scotland, added: “On behalf of myself and the team at Alzheimer Scotland, I would like to say thank you to Amazon in Dunfermline for its kind donation.
“I would also like to extend a huge thank you and well done to the inspiring team of staff who took part in our Memory Walk – you should all be proud of your achievements.”
The donation to Alzheimer Scotland was made as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK.
As winter approaches, families with disabled or seriously ill children face dauntingly grave financial challenges, according to latest research findings.
In its latest poll, national charity Family Fund shows how prospects for the families it supports continue to worsen, as they grapple with the ever-rising cost of living for day-to-day needs.
As the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families raising disabled and seriously ill children, on the lowest incomes, Family Fund provides essential goods and services to families including kitchen appliances, clothing, bedding, play and sensory equipment and much-needed family breaks.
Last year, it delivered over 170,919 grants and services, worth over £37 million, to families on low incomes across the UK.
The charity’s Cost of Caring report, published last month for the first time, showed deteriorating conditions for families with disabled and seriously ill children. The report covered four quarterly polls in the year that followed the pandemic.
However, the latest quarterly poll, from September this year, shows an ever worsening picture, with families facing hunger and spiralling debts as they struggle to meet the needs of their children.
Families face a triple whammy of sky-high costs on top of severely reduced incomes, due to intense caring responsibilities and three-times-higher costs to look after a disabled child.
Over 70% of parents and carers report not being able to work at all, or as much as they want to, because of the care their children need, a post-pandemic reduction in support services for children, and parents being furloughed and living on reduced benefits.
Cheryl Ward, Family Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, said:“Our latest figures show that families with disabled and seriously ill children continue to face daunting financial challenges, which are worsening as winter approaches.
“The majority of families who have been supported by Family Fund have shared with us how they are struggling to cover mounting debts and worry constantly about how they are going to clothe and feed their children, fund transport for medical appointments and heat their homes. .
“We are doing everything we can to support families whose costs are already three times higher to care for, and raise, their disabled children than costs for other children. We urge families who need support with urgent and essential items this winter to go to our website (Family Fund) to see if we can help them.”
Key findings from latest quarterly poll with UK families raising a disabled child or young person:
Impact on households:
average household income for families has fallen by over £660 in the last 12 months;
almost 60% of families (59%) report an increase in household bills of more than £100 a month;
9 in ten families report they are struggling or falling behind on household bills (92%);
one in five families (21%) say their debt levels have risen by more than £1,000 in the last 12 months;
nearly 80 per cent of families (78%) have no savings to fall back on;
75% of families say they would not be able to save £10 a month;
58% have cut or skipped meals;
40% have gone hungry because there was not enough money for food;
48% are cutting back on energy;
over one third (35%) of families are cutting back on transport costs;
over one third (31%) of households said they have gone without carpets because they can’t afford them;
11% have gone without a cooker or fridge;
23% have gone without curtains;
20% have gone without beds;
27% have used a food bank;
Impact on disabled children:
63% of families have cut back on play and recreational activities with their disabled child;
31% are cutting back on toys or sensory toys for their disabled child;
16% said they would like fresh fruit or vegetables every day for their disabled child;
10 % said they would like a warm winter coat for their disabled child;
76 % said their disabled child’s health and wellbeing had declined in some way over the last 12 months.
A prestigious evening Awards Ceremony recognising the best of the independent care home sector will be held on Friday 18 November 2022 at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.
The National Care Home Awards is a night of celebration, where excellence in care homes around the country will receive the recognition it deserves.
90% of all care home support in Scotland is delivered by the independent sector, with these services caring for over 32,000 older individuals and employing nearly 44,000 people.
Scottish Care, the representative body for independent social care services across Scotland and organisers of the event, are encouraging those working in the sector and the wider public to join in on the celebrations online using the hashtags #celebratecare and #careawards22.
Winners will be announced by the Awards Host – Scottish singer, TV and radio presenter, Michelle McManus.
Awards will be presented over fourteen categories:
Ancillary & Support Staff Award
Meaningful Activity Award
Nutrition & Eating Well Award
Training, Learning & Staff Development Award
Emerging Talent Award
Outstanding Achievement Award
Leadership Award
Palliative & End of Life Care Practise Award
Nurse of the Year Award
Care Worker of the Year Award
Specialist Service/Unit of the Year Award
Care Home Service of the Year Award
Positive Impact Award
Strategic Contribution Award
Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care and the co-host of the Awards Ceremony said: “Care homes are places where people can live the fullest possible lives despite medical conditions or factors which might limit them. They are places of entertainment, activity, conversation and friendships. The Care Home Awards is an opportunity to show the real brilliance of the Scottish care home sector.
“The care home workforce is full of individuals who behave with dignity, compassion, professionalism and skill. We are hosting the awards to express our gratitude and to recognise the particular skills of a few.
“It is also a night to acknowledge all the individuals, teams and companies delivering care at an incredibly high standard in a challenging period and within an increasingly demanding work environment.”
The awards have been hailed a huge success in recognising individuals, teams and companies. This year saw a record number of entries from care home staff, residents and relatives nominating their peers, colleagues and local services.
The Care Home Awards follows a full-day conference for the care home sector with speakers including the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care – Humza Yousaf MSP, Chair of the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny & Regulation – Dame Sue Bruce, and Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate – Jackie Irvine.
The Scottish Care National Care Home Conference & Exhibition, which is now in its 23rd year has incorporated an awards ceremony for the last 18 years. The conference, exhibition and care awards are the largest of their kind for the care home sector in Scotland.
Emergency services, prosecutors and health colleagues are among those supporting a National Assault Pledge underlining a joint commitment to reduce violence and abuse against workers.
The National Assault Pledge builds upon Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone’s Assault Pledge, developed in response to a concerning increase in violence and abuse against Police Scotland officers and staff. The Chief Constable’s Assault Pledge was published in August 2020 with the support of the then Lord Advocate and Cabinet Secretary for Justice.
Since then, local pledges have been developed by services in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.
The national partnership group includes British Transport Police, NHS Scotland, Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Ambulance Service and others. The group will share best practice, develop preventative measures and use consistent messaging in their workplace to support and encourage staff to report incidents.
The National Assault Pledge was agreed by signatories at an event at Police Scotland Headquarters, Tulliallan, on Tuesday, 15 November.
Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor QPM has been leading Police Scotland’s drive to reduce the impact violence and abuse has on officers and staff and introduce measures to improve their safety.
DCC Taylor said: “Being the victim of an assault can have a long lasting impact both physically and mentally. It’s not simply part of the job.
“Working in partnership with a number of key organisations highlights our collective approach and united pledge to reduce assaults at work.
“I want our officers and staff to feel supported and this partnership adds to work already ongoing in this area.”
Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC said: “Assaults on front line workers will not be tolerated and Scotland’s prosecutors will help protect their safety through robust action.
“The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service work closely with police to ensure the effective investigation and prosecution of crime.
“Any criminal behaviour that threatens public safety and the safety of front line workers will be taken very seriously.”
In 2021/22, there were 7,858 common assaults against emergency workers – an increase of 12 per cent compared to the previous year. Over 7,000 of these were against police officers and staff.
Improved operational safety training, a Taser uplift programme and partnership with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to introduce impact statements are some of the work that has been driven within Police Scotland to support officer and staff safety.
Sarah Boyack has warned against a “cliff-edge” in housing support in Lothian as a report reveals the number of open housing advice cases hit its highest point on record after pandemic protections were stripped away.
“Housing Options” services provide support and advice for people facing homelessness or other housing issues. Most people who seek advice through this system will go on to make a homelessness application, with this being the outcome in 55 per cent of cases in 2021/22.
In Edinburgh, in 2021/22 the number people approaching this service fell by 2 per cent, however, the average time taken for the local authority to deliver this support rose by a shocking 179%, up to 148 days in 2021/22 from 53 days in 2020/21, making it highest increase among all local councils.
The number of open cases in Edinburgh climbed by 13 per cent to the highest point since records began in 2014/15.
The number of people in Scotland approaching the service at risk of homelessness because of termination of tenancy or mortgage due to rent arrears or default on payments soared by a staggering 53 per cent in a single year.
This sharp increase is likely the result of emergency protections introduced during the pandemic ending. Labour have called these figures a “stark warning” and urged the SNP government not to repeat its mistakes when measures introduced to manage the cost of living crisis come to an end.
Commenting, Scottish Labour Lothians MSP Sarah Boyack said:“This damning report lays bare how badly tenants and homeowners were abandoned after the pandemic.
“In Edinburgh, the council is struggling to cope with rising demand, with the need for high quality, affordable housing being more pressing than ever.
“People arriving from Ukraine are also in desperate need for accommodation.
“What will happen when the current rent freeze and evictions ban draw to an end?
“No-one should lose their home because of this cost of living crisis – we need a real long-term plan to prevent homelessness, protect tenants, and help homeowners, before a second wave of homelessness hits.”
Table 4a: Number of open PREVENT1 approaches as at 31 March, in Edinburgh: 2015 to 2022
2015
2,555
2016
2,875
2017
3,210
2018
3,515
2019
3,880
2020
4,725
2021
6,520
2022
7,370
Change 2021 to 2022 %
13%
Table 6a: Reason for PREVENT1 approach: 2014-15 to 2021-22
2020-21
2021-22
Change 20-21 to 21-22 %
All Approaches
37,412
40,062
7%
Homelessness type reasons:
Termination of tenancy / mortgage due to rent arrears / default on payments
Greenpeace Edinburgh will be hosting a town hall event at the Grassmarket Community Project focused on the cost of living and climate crises. As part of the event, we will be showing a screening of Greenpeace’s latest documentary, “The Cost Of Living”.
This short documentary tells the story of volunteers in food banks and community centres across Rother Valley in Yorkshire. Feeling neglected and left behind by the government and facing enormous energy bills, more and more people rely on their community to help put food on their table and provide a warm refuge.
Food banks, social cafes and community centres are being stretched to the limit as winter looms large. As the women of Rother Valley try to keep their communities afloat, the government’s inaction stands in stark contrast.
Both the cost of living and climate crises can be solved by investing in renewable energy, properly insulating homes and providing people with the skills and training needed to deliver this green energy revolution.
The screening of the approx. 10 minute documentary will be followed by a panel discussion, featuring representatives from organisations including Living Rent, Just Stop Oil, Fuel Poverty Action and Leith Community Crops in Pots.
A new report has found shocking evidence that women in Scotland are suffering increasing hardship, destitution, and food insecurity due to lack of support during the cost-of-living crisis.
In research conducted in partnership, the Poverty Alliance and the Scottish Women’s Budget Group (SWBG) found that women are experiencing increasing financial hardship and are at risk of falling into further debt as a consequence of the cost-of-living crisis. Women in low-paid work reported often missing out on social security support or cost-of-living payments, or free school meals, because they earn just above income thresholds.
The research was funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and included women from diverse backgrounds across Scotland. Women told researchers they are worried whether they will be able to afford their energy bills in winter and parents and carers are struggling to afford food and essential items like baby wipes, incontinence pads, and toilet roll.
The report contains 15 recommendations on how to better support women through this crisis and beyond. Key priorities include:
Ensuring adequate incomes for all through a “caring social security system”;
Investing in preventative public services and in support and advice services to help people manage debt;
Improving community amenities and services, ensuring that support provided is free from stigma;
For the UK government to uplift social security in line with inflation;
For the Scottish government to expand eligibility to sources of emergency support for women experiencing in-work hardship.
SWBG co-ordinator Sara Cowan said: “The costs crisis is affecting the vast majority of us, but this powerful research highlights again the unjust way that poverty especially affects women in our society.
“Women are more likely to be poor, have lower levels of savings and wealth, and are less able to find suitable work or increase their hours if they’re in work often due to caring responsibilities that fall disproportionately on women.
“The women in this research talked about the impossible decisions they had to make to prioritise feeding their children, and whether or not to turn the heating on. Or not being able to buy things like baby wipes, incontinence pads, or toilet roll.
“The Scottish and UK Governments can help by increasing and extending the emergency support available to people, and working to put justice and compassion at the heart of social security and our public services.”
Vivienne Jackson, Programme Manager at abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, said: “This important research shines a light on the real experiences of women in Scotland. It’s not right that people are struggling to afford to feed their families, or having to live in freezing cold houses because they can’t afford to put their heating on.
“We hope this research will add to the growing body of evidence that households need much more help from government during this crisis, and that we need to make financial fairness an urgent government priority.”
Fiona McHardy, Research and Information Manager at the Poverty Alliance, said: “This research shows that women are at risk of being pushed into destitution. The financial support that has been made available so far by both UK and Scottish Governments to help with the cost-of-living crisis is clearly not sufficient for many of the women in our study.
“It is vital that the UK Government increases the value of social security benefits in line with inflation. Any cut to UK benefits will led to unacceptable hardship for more women.
“In Scotland, we must find ways to expand eligibility for people who are in employment, are in need, but miss out on support. Too many women in Scotland are in urgent need of support – Scottish Ministers must leave no stone unturned in finding resources to support them during this crisis.”
The diary entries and interviews document women’s increasing desperation and despair as costs kept rising and incomes stayed where they are.
Stella
Stella, a Black lone-parent mother living with her children. Due to illness and subsequently losing employment, she had to apply for Universal Credit two years ago.
Even before the cost-of-living crisis, she noted how Universal Credit was an ‘insufficient means of livelihood even under normal circumstances as a single parent’. Now, due to increased utility bills, Stella supplements income with credit cards, which are accruing debt, and asking to ‘borrow money from family and…friends for financial help’. Stella was concerned about her energy bills, so now she only uses the washing machine once a week for her family.
Stella’s children were conscious of rising costs: ‘even as a child [her son] realises how much food bills have increased, and it impacts him greatly’. On top of the impact this is having for her child, she shared that she is having to consider ‘significant changes in [their household’s] diet’.
Stella was becoming increasingly socially isolated because of the high cost and unreliability of public transport. Consequently, she is unable to ‘attend church every Sunday. This impacts me spiritually and deprives me of much needed interaction and social isolation’.
Her September entries were mainly focused on how price rises were impacting every aspect of her family’s life. Food was costing over £20 more each shop, and when thinking about the future, she noted: ‘it will be too much and [she] will not be able to afford it’.
Stella wrote: “This cost-of-living crisis have brought untold pain and suffering on women especially single parents and children because of the way it impacts our lives on a daily basis. Not being able to afford the essentials of life can be very stressful and robs women of their dignity and self-worth.”
Sue
Sue is a white lone parent mother who has long-term health issues. She works part-time and recently stopped accessing Employment and Support Allowance by taking on a second low-income job.
To manage increased costs of living on her low income, Sue made a list of ideas including getting another part-time job, asking for more hours in her current employment, asking for a mortgage holiday, skipping meals and selling jewellery and things in the house. She wrote: “Sad one this for me, sold jewellery, mine and my gran’s wedding rings…but it is to help in a crisis that our household is facing and needs action fast so it had to be done”.
Idia
Idia, a lone mother, reflected on the challenges of being able to afford food and going hungry in almost all her diary entries. On the small amount she receives as an asylum seeker for her family, she wondered how she is expected to be able to buy food with costs rising week by week. She shared the damaging impacts on her mental health. She also shared: “the most frustrating part of the week for me was not being able to afford to get my kids snacks”.
“I spoke to my friend who told me she has been starving and only eats at night,” Idia said. “I have started doing that though it didn’t go well with me the first day, but I will get used to it.”
Sarah
Sarah is a parent and works full-time in a role providing advice and support to people in the community. In October, she was concerned about managing her existing debts and rising energy costs, particularly as she lives in an old house with poor insulation. She is no longer able to afford to go out places and see family or friends. Her interview highlighted the challenges for people in low-paid work during the crisis. She is not entitled to benefits or support with the cost of living.
Sarah said: “And I was thinking, ‘How can I… how can I keep my daughter, how can I keep warm? What if I have to go to work and then come home and freeze my ass off every night. And I was, I honestly got to the point where I was thinking, ‘What’s the point of living?’ You were going into shops, the prices were going up so much, and it was like, ‘Well I work so God damn hard, I get no help. I’m helping people get help, do you know what I mean? But yet I can’t access any help myself?’.”
98% of Scotland’s bathing waters pass environmental standards:
38 (44%) of bathing waters will be rated ‘excellent’ for 2023 – the highest since tighter standards first came into force in 2015.47 (54%) will achieve ‘good’ or ‘sufficient’ status for 2023
Two (2%) will have ‘poor’ status for 2023
Previous projects to improve water quality are now showing sustained improvements across Scotland
Ayr (South Beach) maintains ‘good’ status following significant improvements over many years.
Management plans at Dhoon Bay improved water quality in 2022.
Projects are in development for the two ‘poor’ Fife beaches to improve water quality
Farmers and land managers have continued to show good compliance with environmental regulations.
Targeted investments by Scottish Water have helped to reduce risks and improve water quality.
Scotland’s bathing water quality continues to improve with 38 out of 87 (44%) rated as ‘excellent’ for 2023. This is the highest number ever and highlights sustained improvements in bathing water quality, achieved through partnership projects.
Overall bathing water quality has seen ongoing improvements since 2015, when tighter standards first came into force. For next season, 85 sites will meet or exceed the sufficient classification.
Since 2015, 15 bathing waters have improved their classification from ‘poor’ to ‘sufficient’ or better. This is testament to the on-going partnership working taking place to drive forward water quality in Scotland. Whilst next year two bathing waters will have a ‘poor’ classification, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) intends to drive the same improvements that have successfully been achieved at other sites.
Scotland’s results(*):
2022/23
2021/22
2020/21
2019/20
2018/19
2017/18
2016/17
2015/16
Excellent
38 (44%)
32 (38%)
Results carried over
29 (34%
28 (32%)
25 (29%)
26 (31%)
17 (20%)
Good
35 (40%)
35 (41%)
31 (36%)
35 (41%)
34 (40%)
36 (43%)
38 (45%)
Sufficient
12 (14%)
17 (20%)
20 (24%)
13 (15%)
16 (19%)
11 (13%)
12 (14%)
Poor
2 (2%)
1 (1%)
5 (6%)
10 (12%)
11 (13%)
11 (13%)
17 (20%)
Total
87
85
85
86
86
84
84
Sources of pollution at Scotland’s bathing waters are often complex and interlinked, requiring action from a range of organisations and people. Progress is being made through working with partners and communities to coordinate activities and identify actions to address water quality challenges, particularly around diffuse pollution, sewage and urban sources.
One of Scotland’s most popular visitor areas, Ayr (South Beach), will maintain its ‘good’ status, achieved in 2021/22, following targeted improvement actions to reduce pollution. The status of the water quality is the result of several years of partnership working between SEPA, Ayrshire livestock farmers and Scottish Water, supported by South Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Government. These improvements were significant and there is good confidence that a similar classification should be maintained in future years.
Dhoon Bay has achieved ‘sufficient’ status for 2023. Rated ‘poor’ for the last four years, the improved water quality is a result of targeted action. This involved partnership working between the local community and tourism businesses, Scottish Water, and the local authority and focused on improvements to the treatment of private sewage as well as reducing run-off from agricultural land.
The Scottish Government provided funding to address inputs from private sewage treatment systems. This work is ongoing.
Other long-term projects
At Sandyhills, in Dumfries and Galloway, SEPA worked with farmers and NFU Scotland to tackle issues related to diffuse pollution, leading to sustained improvements to water quality. Having previously been rated ‘poor’, Sandyhills has achieved two successive ‘good’ classifications and will be rated ‘good’ again in 2023.
Heads of Ayr in Ayrshire has achieved an ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ classification in the last two seasons, following ‘poor’ classifications in previous years. It will maintain its ‘good’ again in 2023. It has seen investment in sewage treatment, surface water drainage and farms complying with requirements. This has resulted in significant water quality improvement.
The Nairn Central and Nairn East bathing waters will be rated ‘good’ for 2023. These sites have had consistent ratings since passing in 2018. Having been a priority project, progress was made through working with partners and communities to coordinate activities and identify actions to address water quality challenges, particularly around diffuse pollution, sewage and urban sources.
Luss Bay will be ‘sufficient’ for the 2023 bathing season and improvements in the water quality in what is a very popular area for visitors will be taken forward by SEPA with partner organisations including Argyll & Bute Council, the Luss Estate, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, Scottish Water, local businesses and residents.
Scotland had two newly designated Bathing Waters in 2022.
Barassie in Ayrshire achieved a ‘sufficient’ classification, while Lower Largo, in Fife, will be rated as ‘poor’ for the 2023 bathing season. A Scottish Water project at Lower Largo has been assessing potential sources of pollution into local burns, including testing for misconnections in nearby properties. SEPA will continue to monitor and report water quality and determine how best to drive water quality improvements over the next few years.
Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) will be rated as ‘poor’ for 2023, following ‘sufficient’ classifications in 2019 and 2021. SEPA is carrying out investigations and further monitoring is planned. SEPA will work with partners to identify and resolve issues.
Ruth Stidson, SEPA’s Principal Scientist for Bathing Waters, said: “Seeing the long-term bathing water quality improvements reflected in this year’s results demonstrates that the sustained hard work by public bodies, private businesses and communities has made a real improvement across Scotland.
“More of our bathing waters will be rated ‘excellent’ than ever before and, overall, 98% are meeting strict environmental standards. We have the largest number of designated bathing waters on record which is good news for the increasing popularity of wild swimming and the communities, businesses and visitors who enjoy our coastlines.
“This has demonstrated the success of driving improvements in water quality through targeted regulation and partnership working. SEPA will continue to work to protect and improve water quality across Scotland with a range of stakeholders, including local authorities, public bodies, farmers and local communities and businesses. We will use our expertise to provide advice and guidance, recommend actions and – when it is appropriate to do so – take robust enforcement action.”
Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “Scotland’s bathing waters are not only important to our environment, they provide spaces for recreation and contribute to good health and well-being. That’s why it’s so great to see more bathing waters across the country rated excellent than ever before.
“The number of bathing waters in Scotland has increased since last year and now stands at 87, with 98% achieving the bathing water quality standards.
“By investing in improving bathing waters across Scotland, we have made sure many more people – tourists and locals alike – can continue to enjoy them, which is good for our communities and our local economies.”
Simon Parsons, Director of Strategic Customer Service Planning, Scottish Water, said:“Scottish Water is committed to continuing to support the protection and improvement of Scotland’s rivers, coastal waters and beaches.
“Last December, we published our improving urban waters route map announcing plans to invest up to half a billion pounds more in Scotland’s waste water network to deliver further improvements and ensure that Scotland’s rivers, beaches and urban waters are free from sewage related debris.
“Our customers can play a huge part in preventing debris in rivers and on beaches. Our national campaign ‘Nature Calls’ urges customers not to flush wet wipes (and other items) down the toilet and we are calling for a complete ban on the sale of wet wipes containing plastic.”
Working with farmers to improve Scotland’s rivers
SEPA has been working alongside NFU Scotland over a number of years to help farmers and rural land managers across Scotland reduce diffuse pollution.
This has been an issue affecting both Ayrshire and Rockcliffe bathing water catchments. In the Ayr (South Beach) bathing water catchment there are only a handful of farms SEPA is still working with to achieve compliance.
All others are fully compliant, with many adopting new practices and spending significant sums of money to improve slurry storage, fence off water courses and install alternative water supplies for livestock.
Around £50 million has been spent on improvements in Ayrshire’s Bathing waters, through self-funding and grants from Scottish Government, and in many cases, farmers have gone even further than is legally required to help protect Scotland’s water environment from farming activities.
In 2022, SEPA issued a farmer with a £600 fixed monetary penalty for a failure to comply with or contravene a General Binding rule. The farmer, who had previously been compliant, failed to prevent significant erosion or poaching of land within 5m of the Corraford Burn, which is within the Dhoon catchment.
Bathing water quality monitoring and prediction
Scotland has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but also experiences some of the wettest weather in Europe. Heavy rain can have an impact on water quality at bathing waters due to pollutants being washed into rivers from sewage treatment systems, roads and pavements.
Scotland’s official bathing water season runs between 1 June and 15 September. Throughout the season, SEPA’s specialist teams sample the designated waters providing regular water quality information which is published on the SEPA website. Pre-season sampling is carried out during May.
Monitoring water quality in this way means SEPA can provide information on water quality for bathing and develop a strategy for any water quality improvements needed.
Electronic messaging signs, at selected bathing waters across Scotland, provide real-time predictions of water quality during the season.
