The vast majority of coastal and inland locations in the country ranked as ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’, while almost none failed to meet minimum standards.
Classifications, introduced in 2015, reflect significant progress in cleaning up bodies of water open for public bathing. This year, Scotland’s environmental regulator SEPA teamed up with Scottish Water, local authorities, land managers and communities to better identify issues and take steps to improve cleanliness and quality.
As a result, from 89 designated bathing spots, 47 were rated ‘Excellent’ and 26 were ‘Good’. Just 13 came out as ‘Sufficient’, and only three were considered to be ‘Poor’ – Kinghorn Harbour and Lower Largo in Fife, and Fisherrow Sands in East Lothian. This means 97% met minimum required standards.
‘Scotland’s bathing waters continue to perform well overall, with most achieving Good or Excellent status for the year ahead,’ Dr Ruth Stidson, Principal Scientist for Bathing Waters at SEPA. ‘The progress made over the past decade reflects significant investment and strong partnership working across the country.
‘As we look to the future, our priority is driving improvement at the most impacted locations and building resilience across the wider water environment,’ she continued. ‘With changing weather patterns and increasing pressures on drainage and wastewater systems, ongoing regulation is essential – alongside collaboration with Scottish Water, local authorities, land managers and communities.’
According to the most recent report on English bathing waters, published in November 2024, just 92% of locations met water quality standards, with 37 ranked as ‘Poor’ or ‘Unfit for Swimming’ – double the number from the previous year.
Image: Brian Kyed / Unsplash
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