Sun, sea, sand and ice cream. On a warm day in Scotland, you could be forgiven for forgetting you’re standing at Edinburgh’s seaside and not at the Costa Del Sol! Brave Scots swim in the sea all year-round. There are also kayaks, windsurfing equipment and boats available to rent here. If the water is too cold for a dip, try the Portobello Swim Centre, a wonderful 19th-century swimming pool designed in a Scottish Renaissance-Queen Anne style. It’s less than a miles’ walk from the train station to the beach. On the way you’ll pass the town harbour where you may spot some Arbroath Smokies over the smoking barrel – the town is famous for these local delicacies and featured in the winning fish dish on BBC2’s Great British Menu, 2021. With the gin originally created at Langley Distillery, they launched their own distillery and visitor centre in 2014. (As a side note, it’s a great distillery to visit, with a range of tour options. There are two custom bottles proudly on display at From the Gin Shelf HQ from our own ‘Gin Making Tour’. Highly recommended!) This stretch of sand isn’t as big as the one at Portobello but it sees far fewer visitors and the facilities are excellent thanks to plenty of parking spaces, shops, and cafes in the vicinity.

To taste, Edinburgh Gin is a triumph! At 43% ABV, it’s certainly not the strongest London Dry you’ll find in today’s market, but on nosing the gin it’s surprising the intensity of the aromas. The Seaside Award-winning beach draws large crowds in good weather and, along with the promenade, hosts a number of popular events, including the annual Big Beach Busk, international volleyball competitions and triathlon events. Edinburgh Gin have two distilleries – the original west end location, which is also their visitor centre, and the Biscuit Factory in Leith, Edinburgh’s spiritual home of gin. The beach on the eastern side of the harbour is twice the size of the west beach, though it has large stretches of shingle so isn’t quite as nice to sit on. Prestonpans is a historic former mining village that is best known as being the location of one of Scotland’s most important battles when Jacobite rebels fought the British Army in 1745.

Story.

The park features a leisure complex with a swimming pool, a golf course, and hundreds of static caravans that are available for rent, making it one of the most popular summertime destinations in East Lothian, especially as Seton Sands Beach is literally on the other side of the main entrance. With tonic I’d pair it with either Fever-Tree Mediterranean or a classic Indian such as Franklin & Sons or Fever-Tree. The distiller’s recommended garnish of orange peel is where I’d go too, enhancing the citrus in the gin. If you want something a little sweeter, a wedge works well too. Up the coast from Dundee you’ll find the popular seaside town of Arbroath. It’s a popular place for people looking for a holiday in Scotland with gorgeous views, a great beach and plenty to keep the whole family entertained. Getting to Portobello is exceptionally easy thanks to a good amount of parking spaces as well as the superb Lothian Buses which run services to the area throughout the day. The beach is easy to access thanks to the newly renovated car parks off the B1348 which have public toilets and ample spaces, but it can also be accessed from roadside spaces near the Seton Sands Holiday Park.

In addition to its natural beauty, Musselburgh Beach is also close to several notable attractions such as the historic Musselburgh Racecourse which has been hosting horse races since 1816, and the Brunton Theatre which offers a range of contemporary and classic shows. If bellies start rumbling you can pop into Direlton Village and Amalfi’s Ice Cream Parlour (a real hidden gem), or the nearby Archerfield Walled Garden which has a large cafe that serves delicious locally-sourced produce. Gullane is a charming village on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth approximately 20 miles east of Edinburgh. It’s the next beach around the coast from Aberlady Bay so it’s easy to walk between them, but as Gullane has a large car park that offers easy access to the many facilities in the village, it’s perhaps best to drive there instead. Getting to Ayr beach by train is really easy. There are frequent services running from Glasgow Central that take around 55 minutes. It’s then just a short signposted walk from the station to the seafront. Troon Seton Sands is a particularly beautiful beach located between the twin villages of Port Seton and Longniddry, 13 miles east of Edinburgh’s city centre.Access to Gullane Beach is a wee bit more difficult than the others on this list as the rough footpaths from the car park are unsuitable for wheelchairs, but at least children will have a great time exploring the dunes and gorse bushes that surround the paths. Those visitors looking for a mini seaside day out won’t have to go much further than the middle of the Portobello seafront. In conclusion, Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve is a must-visit destination for nature lovers and anyone seeking a tranquil escape near Edinburgh. Its diverse habitats, fascinating history, and beautiful one-mile stretch of sand make it one of the best coastal destinations in the region. The burgh of Portobello is a pleasant Edinburgh suburb that’s full of independent galleries and bistros, and it’s easily accessed from the city centre by bus or car. Visiting Tips