Scotland’s bathing water season began on 1st June and 2025 is the 10th anniversary of the first samples taken under the revised Bathing Water Directive, which introduced tougher water quality standards and clearer public information.
This year Scotland starts the season with the highest ever number of bathing waters rated “Excellent” for water quality; 50 compared with 17 a decade ago, with 97% of sites now achieving sufficient or better quality.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have led a science-driven programme of monitoring, collaboration, regulation and investment. As well as environmental monitoring, SEPA have worked with operators and stakeholders across Scotland, including Scottish Government, Scottish Water, local authorities, land managers and communities to improve bathing water quality.
As a result, millions of pounds has been invested in wastewater infrastructure, improved agricultural practices and targeted pollution control.
Ruth Stidson, SEPA’s Principal Scientist for Bathing Waters, said: “Scotland’s bathing waters are a vital part of our natural environment – important for health, wellbeing, tourism and community pride.
“A decade on from the revised directive, we’re seeing more sites rated excellent than ever before, 56% today compared to 20% in 2015.
“This improvement is a real testament to partnerships with local authorities and stakeholders, including communities, to protect our water environment, and targeted investment by Scottish Water, farmers and land managers to reduce pollution.”
Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: “I am pleased to see a record number of Scotland’s bathing waters rated as ‘excellent’ this year. This is testament to our continued investment in protecting and improving bathing waters across the country and targeted work in priority catchments.
“We want to make sure that as many people as possible can enjoy our bathing waters, which is why we continue to work closely with SEPA, Scottish Water and other public partners to protect and improve water quality.
“We encourage everyone to make use of SEPA’s resources and information to help make an informed decision about where and when to bathe.”
Increased public information
Water quality at all 89 designated bathing waters is routinely analysed during the bathing water season, which runs until 15th September. Most samples show water quality meets required standards, but if results show unexpectedly high bacterial levels precautionary advice against bathing is issued so people can make informed decisions while SEPA investigates.
Like much of life in Scotland, our bathing waters are affected by the weather. Heavy rainfall can wash pollution from fields and streets into rivers and seas, sometimes reducing water quality. Combined sewer overflows, designed to discharge during heavy rain to ease pressure on sewer systems, can also release untreated water. When this happens SEPA advise against bathing between one and three days after heavy rain.
This advice is available daily on SEPA’s website, and on electronic signs at 30 locations. This year, the public can also access Scottish Water’s near real-time sewer overflow map, showing when and where overflows occur. Scottish Water installed over 1,000 monitors in 2024, including all assets within 2 km of amenity waters such as designated bathing waters.
Over the past decade, SEPA have ensured Scottish Water’s investments focus on improving sites that are affecting bathing waters and will continue to do so.
Ruth added: “Scotland’s bathing waters are designated for bathing, but wild swimming is increasingly popular across Scotland.
“When picking a wild swimming spot, risks of illness due to poor water quality can be reduced by selecting locations where there are no local warnings in place advising against swimming. Avoid bathing on higher risk days which follow heavy rainfall and in water with blue-green algal blooms or scums.
“It’s also best to avoid swimming close to known inputs, including watercourses, as these can be sources of pollution. Generally, risks tend to be higher in urban areas or where livestock farming occurs within the catchment as these are the key sources of bacteria for most bathing waters.”
It’s also really important that people know how to stay safe when visiting bathing waters, and what to do in an emergency. Water Safety Scotland was established in 2014 to promote safety and reduce the number of accidental drownings. They have a dedicated page on their website providing advice for a range of water-based activities, including beach safety.
Carlene McAvoy, Founder of Water Safety Scotland, said: “As the bathing season approaches, we want to remind the public to stay safe around water – especially when it’s hot.
“Although the air temperature may be hot, waterways in Scotland are cold and entering them can lead to Cold Water Shock. Water Safety Scotland’s key message is to follow the Water Safety Code which provides lifesaving information.
“We urge the public to learn the code and teach their families and friends about it.”
Continuing to improve Scotland’s bathing waters
SEPA use advanced microbial source tracking analysis to identify pollution sources by analysing the unique genetic fingerprints of bacteria. This helps pinpoint whether pollution comes from humans, ruminants (like cattle, deer and horses), dogs or seabirds. This allows SEPA to target action more effectively.
This work has shown that bacteria from dog fouling and gulls can contribute to poor water quality at some sites. Visitors can help reduce this by picking up after their dogs and avoiding feeding gulls, as human food harms them and encourages problematic behaviour.
SEPA continue to ensure environmental compliance, while supporting improvements across infrastructure, farming and urban environments.
Tackling diffuse pollution, adapting to climate change, and raising public awareness remain central to protecting water quality and human health at Scotland’s bathing waters for the future.
Find more information about Scotland’s bathing waters, including locations, profiles and classifications, on SEPA’s bathing waters pages.
