Citizens steer net zero journey

Scottish Government response to Climate Assembly recommendations published

The Scottish Government has set out how it is embracing the findings of Scotland’s Climate Assembly to help shape the country’s approach to net zero.

The comprehensive response welcomes all of the Assembly’s 81 recommendations – and those made by the Children’s Parliament.

It sets out how the Scottish Government will deliver the Assembly’s bold and wide-ranging proposals across a number of key themes including transport, waste and home energy. It also commits to using the Assembly’s report to support future decision making.

A number of other tangible actions being taken forward as a direct result of the Assembly’s recommendations include:

  • the roll-out of a new network of resource sharing libraries across Scotland
  • working with landowners to increase woodland creation and peatland restoration
  • integrating emission reduction topics into education programmes
  • considering the Assembly recommendations for inclusion in the forthcoming Circular Economy Bill

Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Scotland’s Climate Assembly has been a truly historic process and involved a ground-breaking collaboration that engaged people from across the country.

“To ensure our approach to becoming a net zero nation is fair and just for everyone, we all need to work together. Scotland’s Climate Assembly, as representatives of our nation, told us what they want to see, and I am delighted to support their package of recommendations.

“The Scottish Government’s response to the Assembly’s report has been a truly cross-Government effort – and rightly so, given that the transformation that needs to take place will touch every corner of our society.

“We have been clear where the Assembly’s recommendations have already resulted in action and where we need to explore or consult further. As we work towards net zero, we will ensure the Assembly’s recommendations continue to guide decision-making.  It is particularly fitting, to be publishing the government’s response now, as we seek to ensure a lasting legacy from COP26.

“The Climate Assembly has worked closely with the Children’s Parliament, to ensure that, for the first time, children have directly been involved and we will ensure young people continue to be part of the decisions around our net zero future. It is another example of the unique approach we are taking to tackle climate change in Scotland, ensuring a greener, fairer future for everyone.”

Scotland’s Climate Assembly’s full report can be viewed on its website.

Police in Edinburgh sign up to LGBT Charter

Edinburgh Division is determined it will be an inclusive place to work and has pledged this promise by signing up to the LGBT Youth Scotland’s LGBT Charter.

The LGBT Charter guides and encourages organisations to support members of the LGBTQ+ community in every aspect of their public engagement, as well as LGBTQ+ members of their own workforce.

It is hoped that by committing to the Charter, our own workforce will thrive at work, and also that our communities will have confidence in the organisation to keep them safe and supported, and see us an inclusive employer.

Constable David Clark from Edinburgh Division’s Preventions, Interventions and Partnerships Department said: “We are very proud to be the first division within Police Scotland to sign up to this worthwhile charter and we hope it makes a clear statement that equality and diversity are at the heart of everything we do.

“Edinburgh Division is in an enviable position in terms of the number of officers we have trained and the technology available that enables us to support this and it is anticipated that other divisions will follow suit in the near future.

“I believe signing up to LGBT Charter will go a long way in supporting police officers and staff within our division as well as supporting members of Edinburgh’s LGBTQ+ communities.”

For more information on the LGBT Charter and LGBT Youth Scotland, please click on the following link:  The LGBT Charter | LGBT Youth Scotland | LGBT Youth Scotland

Vaccination Clinics in NHS Lothian

Adults over the age of 18 are being urged, where possible, to book their booster vaccination appointment in advance using the online portal to help avoid queues and keep everyone safe. 

You can book your appointment at: http://www.nhsinform.scot/vaccinebooking

When you book an appointment, you can select the venue that you wish to attend. Confirmation of your booking, including the time and location will be sent to the email address linked to your portal registration.

DROP- IN CLINICS FOR BOOSTER VACCINE

Drop-in clinics for booster vaccinations for people over the age of 40 have been rolled out in some vaccination clinics across Lothian. However, it must be stressed that if you choose to use a drop-in clinic, instead of booking an appointment in advance, you may have to wait in queues to be seen.

If you choose to drop-in, please help keep everyone safe by wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing, even if you have to queue outside. If you have already booked an appointment and choose to drop-in beforehand, please cancel your slot to ensure it doesn’t go to waste.

There are lists of vaccination clinics running across Lothian which offer pre-booked appointment slots, but only some in East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian will offer dedicated drop-in clinics for people aged 40 and over.

Available Drop-in clinics

Edinburgh:  

Allermuir Health Centre, 165 Colinton Mains Drive, Edinburgh EH13 9AFSaturday and Sunday9.30am – 3.30pm
Craigmillar Medical Centre, 106 Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh EH16 4DTSaturday and Sunday9.30am – 3.30pm
Tollcross Health Centre, Ponton Street, Edinburgh EH3 9PXSaturday and Sunday9.30am – 3.30pm
Gracemount Health Centre, 24 Gracemount Drive, Edinburgh EH16 6RNSaturday and Sunday9.30am – 3.30pm
Leith Community Treatment Centre, 12 Junction Place, Edinburgh EH6 5JQ7 days9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -6pm (last drop in 3.30pm Saturday and Sunday)
Pennywell All Care Centre, 1 Macmillan Crescent, Edinburgh EH4 4WL7 days9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -3pm
Sighthill Health Centre, 380 Calder Road, Edinburgh EH11 4AU7 days9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -3pm
Lowland Hall, Royal Vaccination Centre, Ingleston, Newbridge EH28 8NB7 days9.30am – 6.30pm
Ocean Terminal (first floor)7 days12 – 6.30pm
Conan Doyle Medical Centre, 4 Nether Liberton Loan, Edinburgh EH16 5TYSaturday9.30am – 3.30pm
Mountcastle Health Centre, 132 Mountcastle Drive South, Edinburgh EH15 3LLSaturday9.30am – 3.30pm
South Queensferry Medical Practice, 41 The Loan, South Queensferry EH30 9HASaturday9.30am – 3.30pm
Pentlands Medical Centre, 44 Pentland View, Currie EH14 5QBSunday9.30am – 3.30pm


You can find out more about all the vaccination clinics running across Lothian and stay up to date with the latest news via the websites of the Health and Social Care Partnerships:

·       Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership

·       West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership

·       Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership

·       East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership

1st and 2nd DOSES

We are still encouraging those who have yet to receive their first dose or who are now due their second dose of the COVID vaccine to come forward.

Please note, as per the latest Scottish Government guidance, we are currently not offering second doses for those aged 12-15.

AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are available at all the below locations. If you are using public transport to get to your appointment, see details below. You might find it useful to plan your journey either on Traveline Scotland’s website or Lothian Buses.

Pyramids Business Park, Easter Inch Steadings, Bathgate EH48 2EH. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00

You can get directions for driving here, and Lothian Buses’ travel advice is here. 

Lowland Hall, Royal Highland Vaccination Centre, Ingliston. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00

You can use Lothian Buses to attend the mass vaccination centre at Lowland Hall; see this document for more information. 

Gorebridge Vaccination Centre, Hunterfield Road, Gorebridge, EH23 4TX. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00

If you’re travelling to Gorebridge Vaccination Centre by bus, you can plan your journey using Borders Buses or Traveline Scotland (as mentioned above). 

Edinburgh, Leith: Ocean Terminal, 74 Ocean Dr, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ. Mon-Sun, 11:00-19:00.

Edinburgh, Leith: Leith Community Treatment Centre, Junction Place, Edinburgh, EH6 5JQ. Mon-Fri, 08:30-12:00 / 13:00-18:00. 

Bonnyrigg: Midlothian Community Hospital, 70 Eskbank Road, Dalkeith, EH22 3ND. Mon-Fri, 08:00-19:00. 

Haddington: East Lothian Community Hospital, Alderston Road, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 3PF.  Open for appointments only, between 8.20am and 4.30pm, seven days a week. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca all available. 

Musselburgh: Musselburgh Primary Care Centre, Inveresk Rd, East Lothian, Musselburgh EH21 7BP. Open for appointments only seven days a week between 8.20am and 4.30pm. 

Adult Disability Payment launch dates announced

The Scottish Government’s next benefit, Adult Disability Payment (ADP), will open for new applications in pilot areas from 21 March 2022.

This new payment, to be administered by Social Security Scotland, will replace Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which are currently delivered by the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Adults of working age with a disability or health condition, who are not already in receipt of PIP or DLA, and living in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and the Western Isles local authority areas, will be the first to be able to apply from this date.

Further council areas will be introduced in phases until Adult Disability Payment rolls out nationwide from August 2022.

Individuals with ongoing awards of PIP or DLA do not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment. Their awards will be transferred automatically to the new Scottish system from August 2022, with no break in entitlement or payment.

Legislation to introduce the new benefit was laid before the Scottish Parliament on Friday.

Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “Adult Disability Payment will be the twelfth Scottish benefit to be delivered by the Scottish Government, since we gained limited powers over social security and created Social Security Scotland in 2018.

“ADP will also be the most complex and largescale Scottish benefit yet, reaching up to a forecasted 339,000 people once the entitlements of all Scottish PIP and DLA recipients are transferred from the DWP.

“We know people have found applying for DWP disability benefits stressful in the past. That is why we have listened to their experiences as we have designed our new system, and we are committed to doing things differently.

“We are introducing an improved application process and, in contrast to the DWP system, we are removing the burden from individuals to provide supporting information, so that the onus will instead be on Social Security Scotland to collect the information we require. Our new, person-centred decision making process will ensure everyone is treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

“Importantly, we have abolished assessments in the form currently undertaken by the DWP. Instead, and only where required, we will hold person-centred consultations between the person and a Social Security Scotland health or social care practitioner, starting from a position of trust. Our consultations will not involve functional examinations.

“Another key difference in our new system will be around the definition of terminal illness. We will follow the judgement of clinicians instead of being tied to fixed periods of life expectancy, and anyone with a terminal illness will be fast tracked.

“From the outset, the eligibility criteria for ADP applicants will remain mostly the same as existing DWP disability benefits, as will payment values for awards, so that we do not create a two-tier system with varying rules whilst Scottish PIP and DLA recipients are transferred to Social Security Scotland.

“We are committed to undertaking an independent review of ADP within a year of its full introduction, to consider the eligibility criteria, gather feedback from people who’ve applied and collect data to inform any proposed changes.

“We have also worked with people with lived experience and relevant organisations to develop all aspects of the application process, and make it easy and inclusive for people to access support they are entitled to. We are offering a range of ways to make an application, including online, by post, over the phone or face-to-face. Social Security Scotland local delivery teams will also be available to provide assistance.

“People in Scotland with existing DWP awards do not need to be concerned about reapplying or going through an application process again. They will be transferred automatically to Social Security Scotland and we will write in advance, so people know what to expect. Our focus on safe and secure delivery will ensure that everyone continues to get the payments they receive, when they expect to.”

First Minister’s Christmas card

The card features iconic landmarks of Scotland

A design featuring landmarks and national symbols of Scotland has been unveiled as the First Minister’s 2021 Christmas Card.

It has been created by artist Emily Hogarth, who has previously worked on illustrations to mark St Andrew’s Day and a welcoming new space for children at The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.

The card features some of Scotland’s best-known landmarks and iconic buildings, with familiar images such as the Scottish Parliament building and the Finnieston Crane. It also has personal links to the First Minister, with her official residence Bute House included in the design.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am thrilled to have such a striking design for my Christmas card this year.

“Emily Hogarth’s artwork celebrates just a few of the things that make Scotland special, and there’s no better time of year to stop and reflect on the things that make our lives a little brighter.

“After another particularly difficult year living through the COVID-19 pandemic I hope that this card will help to lift people’s spirits, spread some festive cheer and most importantly remind us all that better days are ahead.”

Emily Hogarth said: “I felt very honoured to be selected. It’s been lovely to work with the Scottish Government in the past, but to be chosen by the First Minister to do the Christmas card felt very special.

“It’s more important than ever that we focus on the little things that make life better, whether that’s receiving a nice card or having chats with your friends. We need to remember that we’re all in this together and that good times will come again.”

NHS Lothian to reopen EICC as mass vaccination centre

NHS Lothian will re-launch a city centre mass vaccination centre as part of the battle to beat the OMICRON variant of COVID-19.

Vaccination teams will move back into the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) to open on Tuesday at 9am (December 21) to help provide lifesaving vaccines to as many people as possible.

The clinic will offer a combination of booked and drop-in appointments to help make it as easy for people to get their booster.

Just a month ago, on November 16, the programme was delivering 5,500 booster vaccines. Now a total of 10,942 doses are being administered in one day.

NHS Lothian is confident that the reintroduction of the EICC and opening of the Corn Exchange in East Lothian will help boost that figure even higher.

Pat Wynne, Nurse Director, Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “Vaccination is more important now than it has ever been and we are really pleased to be back in the EICC in the heart of the city once more.

“We would urge anyone who still needs a first, second or booster dose of the vaccine to make an appointment or drop in to the EICC or one of the many other clinics in Lothian as soon as they are eligible.

“The best way to get your vaccine is to book in advance, using the online booking portal. That way you can avoid queues and help keep everyone safe.

“We are expecting our sites, especially our dedicated drop-in clinics, to be busier than ever before. We will run separate queues for booked and drop-in appointments, but people should be prepared to wait if they are attending a drop-in. If you do have to queue, please be sure to wear a face mask over your mouth and nose and keep your distance – even if you’re outside.”

Vaccination teams have been working flat out with EICC team to prepare the clinic for a re-opening as part of the nationwide effort to help protect lives.

Marshall Dallas, CEO of the EICC, said: “We are proud to continue to support NHS Lothian and NHS Scotland with the roll-out of the vaccine and now the vaccine booster.

“Traditionally, our venue would be closed over the Festive period, allowing our team annual leave during this time, so I can’t credit our people enough for giving up their holiday time to be on site at the venue to make this possible.  

“Since re-opening to events in August, we have safely and successfully hosted a series of back-to-back conferences, and we look forward to welcoming delegates back to the EICC early in the new year.”  

A total of 15 vaccination stations will run in the Cromdale Hall initially while more work is done to extend the facility to provide 25 booths. The rest of the venue, including the Lennox Suite, will continue as normal for conference and events.

Mr Wynne added: “We are grateful to all of the teams from the EICC for working with us once again and helping to pull this together at such short notice. Centre staff would normally be on annual leave soon and they have cancelled their holidays over the festive period just to help re-launch the clinic – we could not be more thankful.”

The EICC will join a list of other vaccination centres, which are being run by the four Health and Social Care Partnerships within Lothian, and is designed to bolster those efforts.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: The UK’s favourite Christmas Film

  • ‘Elf’ is the UK’s favourite Christmas movie
  • ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and ‘Home Alone’ take second and third respectively
  • ‘Love, Actually’ and ‘Last Christmas’ also make the list

The 2003 comedy ‘Elf’ is the most popular film to watch this Christmas period, according to new research.

Research conducted by PokerListings.com analysed IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes scores, as well as Google search levels and Wikipedia page views to see which Christmas movie is the UK’s number one fan favourite.

‘Elf’ ended up taking the top spot, with more than 30,000 Google searches a month for the Christmas classic, as well as praise from audiences and critics alike.

The film is currently sitting at 7/10 on IMDB and a 79% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The Jon Favreau-directed comedy featured an ensemble cast with Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan and many more starring.

In second place is the animated musical ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. Released in 1993, the film is a high scorer with audiences sitting at an 8/10 on IMDB and a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It’s the biggest scorer for Wiki page views on the list, with more than 1.1 million visiting in the past month alone. The fantasy title was the first animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

‘Home Alone’ sits in third place in the list as another audience favourite, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 80% and a 7.6/10 on IMDB. It’s widely considered one of the greatest festive films ever, and the effect the film has is clear, with its success influencing the making of six sequels since its release in 1990.

RankMovie titleRT Audience scoreIMDB RatingTotal Searches per monthWiki Page Views (Past Month)
1Elf79%730800159,484
2The Nightmare Before Christmas91%810701,100,610
3Home Alone80%7.62450530,980
4Mickey’s Christmas Carol90%8192075,212
5Last Christmas81%6.511900230,285
6Love, Actually72%7.62050335,226
7Santa Claus: The Movie66%6.33690038,795
8It’s a Wonderful Life95%8.6800672,539
9Love Hard94%6.330699,162
10The Snowman91%8.2440093,672

‘Love, Actually’ also features in the top ten, sitting in fifth place. The film is one of the most prominent UK rom-coms set in the Christmas period, and features a star-studded cast including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson and many more. It had a charity short film sequel, Red Nose Day Actually, which aired in 2017 on BBC One with the same cast.

The 2019 Romantic Comedy ‘Last Christmas’ makes an appearance in seventh place. Inspired by the music of George Michael, it stars Emilia Clarke in the leading role, with Emma Thompson and Henry Golding also starring.

It’s an example of a Christmas movie that divided critics and fans, with a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 81% and only a 44% score from critics, with a 6.5/10 on IMDB. It’s also one of the most Googled entries on the list with more than 11,000 searches a month.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for PokerListings said: “It’s great to see how diverse the market for Christmas movies is, with a variety of genres included on the list.

“Despite many new additions every year to the festive line up, many entries in the top ten are more than 20 years old now, which really emphasizes how timeless movies like ‘Elf’ and ‘Home Alone’ are and how they can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

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Morrisons expands Christmas shopping options

  • Click & Collect available in over 350 stores – 
  • Morrisons via Deliveroo can deliver groceries to your door – 
  • Extended opening hours – 
  • Blue Light card holders get 10% off in store – 

Home delivery slots for the festive period may be hard to come by in December but you can still have your Christmas grocery shopping done for you.  

At Morrisons, we offer Click & Click from over 350 of our stores, including a same day option.  There is currently availability across the country for collection right up until December 23rd with convenient one hour slots to choose from throughout the day.  

There is no charge to use the Click & Collect service when booking ahead and only a £1.50 fee when using the same day option. To use the service, customers simply need to register at Morrisons.com, select the time they want to collect their order and then choose the item they want.  There is a £40 minimum spend. 

Alternatively, customers can use Deliveroo to have their Morrisons shopping delivered straight to their doors in as little as 20 minutes. Over 190 additional Morrisons stores have been added to Deliveroo in recent weeks, more than doubling the number of stores offering the service and meaning that most major towns and cities nationwide now offer Morrisons via Deliveroo. 

As well as expanding the number of stores that offer the service, we have also added hundreds of new products to the Deliveroo menu including a wider selection of our ‘The Best’ range.  There are also Christmas classics such as mince pies and yule logs as well as party food, fruit & vegetables and meat and fish from our Market Street counters.

To help our customers who prefer to shop in store, we are extending our opening hours from Monday 20th to Thursday 23rd December and will be opening from 6.00am until midnight.  On Christmas Eve our stores will open at 6.00am and close at 6.00pm.

To say a huge thank you to all of our emergency service workers, we are offering all Blue Light card holders 10% off their shopping with us in store until January 2nd 2022. 

NHS workers can also join our NHS Club to receive discounts off their shopping and for NHS customers wishing to use Morrisons.com we offer a free delivery pass.  

For information on ordering Morrisons groceries this Christmas visit:

Morrisons.com or Deliveroo.co.uk

Care home and hospital visiting

Visits to people in hospital and care homes to continue with additional protection measures

Visitors to hospitals and adult care homes are being asked to take an LFD test before every visit under new guidelines.

Adult care homes and hospitals should continue to support visits for residents and patients, however new recommendations set out that visits should be in line with the rules for the general public brought in to control the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The guidance stresses that residents in adult care homes should continue to have opportunities to connect safely with their loved ones, if the protective measures to support safe visiting are maintained.

Under new guidelines no more than two households should meet with a resident at any one time inside the care home and residents are asked to avoid larger gatherings when visiting friends and family outwith the care home.

Staff testing has increased to daily and all visitors should test before every visit. As before named visitors can still be supported  to visit residents in care homes with a controlled COVID-19 outbreak if the local Health Protection Team has agreed this can happen. Essential visits in circumstances such as distress or end of life should be compassionately and generously supported at all times.

Hospital visiting must continue to be prioritised, with appropriate precautions and protections. These include asking all visitors to use an LFD test ahead of visiting, and for no more than two people to visit a patient at any one time, on wards where there is no current active outbreak. Where an active outbreak is being managed, hospitals should allow essential visits only.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are clear hospital visiting must continue, with appropriate precautions and protections in place. We are also mindful of the imminent Christmas period and what this means for patients, staff, visitors and communities.

“Our expectation is that every patient in hospital in Scotland over the Christmas and New Year holiday period should be able to benefit from the support of at least one visitor and, wherever it is safely possible, two.

“These additional measures, in recognition of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, are on top of existing infection prevention and control measures. As has always been the case, we expect protections such as hand hygiene, face coverings and distancing to continue to be maintained.

“The additional protective measures for adult care homes aim to balance the current Covid-19 risk and the need to keep people safe in line with clinical advice provided about the risks of Omicron variant of COVID-19 at this time. 

“Anyone who visits a hospital or care home should undertake an LFD test before every visit in order to keep patients and residents safe. However the additional measures in care homes and hospitals are based on the principle that, using all the protective measures, people living in care homes or being treated in hospitals should continue be supported to see and spend time with those important to them.

“It is vital that everyone works together to enable people to see each other in the lead up to and over the Christmas period so that everyone can spend time with one another safely and with confidence.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank all health and social care staff who have worked tirelessly to enable people, whether patients or care home residents, to stay connected with their loved ones. Their contribution has been immense.”

My Beach, Your Beach: Communities step up to protect their favourite beaches

Almost half of beach visitors now check bathing water quality information at key beaches following a successful summer of ‘My Beach Your Beach‘ campaigning.

The findings were released by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful in a report on this summer’s campaign.

The report also highlights an overall increase in people’s awareness of bathing water quality issues and their willingness to change key habits to help protect the sand and sea.

Specifically, the report reveals:

  • 46% of people reported checking bathing water quality information when visiting the beach, up 16% from last summer, following focused awareness raising this summer;
  • 43% reported that they would change habits that cause pipe blockages and sewage overflows affecting the beach following education around these issues; and,
  • 82% say they would pick up litter when visiting the beach, in order to leave it cleaner than they found it – up 13% from last year thanks to campaign efforts to encourage beach stewardship.

My Beach Your Beach launched in 2018, and since then has supported bathing water quality improvements at a selection of Scottish beaches. 

The publication of the report follows an announcement from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) earlier this week that bathing water classifications this year had shown marked improvements at a number of campaign beaches, thanks to a wider suite of measures.

Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “Scotland’s bathing water quality is now at its best since 2015, and the My Beach Your Beach campaign has done great work to encourage people to do what was needed to deliver that.

“People’s choices and habits really do make a difference, so it’s important that we all continue doing what we can to help keep the sand and sea clean for everyone to enjoy.”

Funded by the Scottish Government and run by Keep Scotland Beautiful, with support from SEPA, My Beach Your Beach focuses on beaches that face challenges with bathing water quality. 

These include Ayr, Troon, Irvine and Saltcoats/Ardrossan on the west coast and Kinghorn, Portobello and Fisherrow Sands on the east. The campaign has also been supported by local authorities and communities, as part of their ongoing efforts to protect their beaches.

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said: ‘My Beach Your Beach is a wonderful collaborative campaign which has raised awareness of what people can do in their own communities to care for the sand and sea. 

“We are thrilled to see such wonderful results this year, highlighting the impact that the campaign has had both in terms of awareness raising, engagement and concrete outcomes such as improved bathing water quality.  

“We were pleased to establish an exciting new partnership with Scotrail to target beach visitors this year, and I’d also like to thank all the partners, communities and individuals who have worked with us this summer and in past years to make the campaign a success and whose actions have contributed to delivering real improvements in bathing water quality.”

Throughout the summer the campaign raised awareness of bathing water quality and the key habits that can impact on it, encouraging everyone to play their part in helping to protect the sand and sea.

This includes bagging and binning dog poo, taking all litter away and not feeding gulls near the beach, as well as never pouring fats, oils and greases down the sink, or flushing things like wet wipes and other sanitary items down the toilet, as these can cause pipe blockages and sewage overflows.

You can read the full report here and find out more about the campaign at:

 www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/mybeachyourbeach