As Scotland’s bathing water season begins on 1st June, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) will continue to monitor and provide information on 19 designated bathing waters across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders.
Designated bathing waters are important local spaces supporting recreation, tourism and access to nature for communities and visitors across the region.
From urban bathing waters serving Edinburgh and surrounding communities to popular coastal destinations across East Lothian and the Scottish Borders, these sites play an important role in supporting health and wellbeing, local visitor economies and access to Scotland’s coastline.
Many of the region’s bathing waters are within easy reach of large population centres, providing accessible opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the water environment.
Throughout the season, which runs until 15th September, SEPA will take regular water samples and provide information including water quality classifications, monitoring results and pollution risk forecasts to help people make informed choices about where and when to bathe.
For the 2026 season, five bathing waters across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders are classified as excellent, eight as good, five as sufficient and one as poor.
- Broad Sands – Good
- Coldingham – Good
- Dunbar (Belhaven) – Good
- Dunbar (East) – Sufficient
- Eyemouth – Sufficient
- Fisherrow Sands – Poor
- Gullane – Excellent
- Longniddry – Good
- North Berwick (Milsey Bay) – Good
- North Berwick (West) – Good
- Pease Bay – Excellent
- Portobello (Central) – Sufficient
- Portobello (West) – Sufficient
- Seacliff – Excellent
- Seton Sands – Good
- Thorntonloch – Excellent
- Wardie Bay – Good
- White Sands – Excellent
- Yellowcraig – Sufficient
Across Scotland’s 90 bathing waters, 47 are classified as excellent, 26 as good, 13 as sufficient and three as poor. One bathing water, Ballachulish Peninsula, was newly designated earlier this year and will receive its first classification at the end of this bathing season.
Bathing water classifications are based on four years of monitoring data and are designed to provide a longer-term picture of water quality over time.
Wet weather is one of the biggest factors affecting bathing water quality in Scotland. Heavy rainfall can temporarily affect bathing waters by washing pollution into rivers, lochs and coastal waters across wider catchments, while also influencing more localised sources such as surface water drainage and sewage discharges. For this reason, people are advised not to bathe during or one to two days after heavy rain.
SEPA issues daily pollution risk forecasts at some bathing waters where water quality has previously been shown to be more vulnerable to short-term pollution following wet weather. Available on SEPA’s website and on electronic messaging signs at these locations, these forecasts advise the public whether conditions are likely to be good or whether there is an increased risk of temporarily reduced water quality.
Scottish Water’s new real-time overflow map provides additional information on wastewater overflow activity.
Water quality is influenced by activity across the wider catchment surrounding a bathing water. SEPA uses microbial source tracking techniques at some locations to help identify whether sources of pollution are linked to human waste, livestock, birds or dogs. This information can then be used to help locate pollution sources and direct improvements.
Over the past 30 years, SEPA’s monitoring, scientific investigations and regulatory work have helped identify the sources of pollution affecting bathing waters and supported targeted improvements across Scotland. This work includes investigating pressures linked to wastewater infrastructure, whether public or private, urban drainage and rural diffuse pollution.
This evidence helps target action and investment where it is most needed and has contributed to sustained improvements over time. In 2015, Scotland had 17 bathing waters classified as excellent and 17 classified as poor.
For the 2026 season, 47 bathing waters are classified as excellent and three as poor, reflecting long-term improvements supported by monitoring, investigation and targeted action across Scotland.
For the 2026 season, Fisherrow Sands remains classified as poor.
Fisherrow Sands returned as a designated bathing water in 2023 following partnership work to improve water quality, including identifying and correcting misconnections alongside improvements to wastewater infrastructure. As a result of this work, Fisherrow Sands achieved a good classification.
In 2024, the poor classification was mainly due to a single very high sample result, for which no clear cause was identified. In 2025, another high result was recorded, which microbial source tracking indicated was likely due to contamination from gulls. Assessment against the full four-year dataset at the end of the 2026 season will provide a clearer picture of long-term trends.
Ruth Stidson, Principal Specialist Scientist at SEPA, said: “Bathing waters are important places for communities across Scotland and people rightly want clear information about water quality and the factors that can affect it.
“SEPA’s monitoring, forecasting and investigative work help people make informed choices throughout the bathing water season, while also helping us better understand the pressures affecting Scotland’s bathing waters over time.
Improving water quality is not always straightforward. Conditions can be influenced by rainfall, wastewater infrastructure, runoff and activity across wider catchments and those pressures can vary from place to place.
“For 30 years, SEPA’s scientific monitoring and evidence have supported long-term improvements at bathing waters across Scotland, and we continue to work with partners to identify pollution risks and target action where improvements are still needed.”
People visiting bathing waters across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders can also help protect local water environments by disposing of litter responsibly, avoiding feeding gulls, clearing up after dogs and helping prevent sewer blockages by not flushing wet wipes, fats, oils and grease into drains and toilets.
Information on Scotland’s bathing waters, including classifications, monitoring results, pollution risk forecasts and advice for visitors, is available on SEPA’s website throughout the bathing water season.
