Designated Bathing Waters in Scotland
Under the revised Directive's provisions, the Scottish Government designates sites where there are large numbers of bathers present. This ensures that resources are properly channelled towards protecting waters where most people are likely to bathe. Ministers had determined, following public consultation, that evidence of large usage should be a peak of 150 people or more on a beach during a single day.
The revised Directive requires that Ministers annually compile and review a list of bathing waters. This list will be published on this website before the start of each season. As well as basing designation on large numbers of bathers present, Ministers can also take account of past trends, or of any infrastructure or facilities provided or any other measures taken to promote bathing in a locality. How we envisage this will be carried out in practice is still to be determined, with proposals being developed on the back of public consultation carried out in 2007-08.
Location of bathing waters
There are currently 80 official bathing waters in Scotland. 77 of these are in coastal locations, the remaining three situated at Loch Ness, Loch Morlich and Loch Lomond. For coastal waters, we have normally defined these as the area of foreshore below the high water mark plus a 100m seaward buffer. For inland lochs, we have classified these as an area extending 100m from the water's edge.
Bathing Waters 2008
Aberdeen | Findhorn | North Berwick (Milsey Bay) |
Aberdour (Silver Sands) | Fraserburgh (Philorth) | North Berwick (West) |
Achmelvich | Fraserburgh (Tiger Hill) | Pease Bay |
Arbroath (West Links) | Ganavan | Peterhead (Lido) |
Ayr (South Beach) | Girvan | Portobello (Central) |
Balmedie | Gullane | Portobello (West) |
Brighouse Bay | Heads of Ayr | Prestwick |
Broad Sands | Inverboyndie | Rockcliffe |
Broughty Ferry | Irvine | Rosehearty |
Burntisland | Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) | Rosemarkie |
Carnoustie | Kinghorn (Pettycur) | Saltcoats/Ardrossan |
Carrick | Kingsbarns | Sandyhills |
Coldingham | Kirkcaldy (Seafield) | Seacliff |
Crail (Roome Bay) | Largs (Pencil Beach) | Seamill |
Cruden Bay | Leven | Seton Sands |
Cullen Bay | Loch Morlich | Southerness |
Culzean | Longniddry | St. Andrews (East Sands) |
Dhoon Bay | Lossiemouth (East) | St. Andrews (West Sands) |
Dores | Lunan Bay | Stonehaven |
Dornoch | Lunderston Bay | Tentsmuir Sands |
Dunbar (Belhaven) | Luss Bay | Thorntonloch |
Dunbar (East) | Machrihanish | Thurso |
Dunnet | Maidens | Troon (South Beach) |
Elie (Harbour) and Earlsferry | Millport Bay | Whitesands |
Elie (Ruby Bay) | Montrose | Yellowcraig |
Ettrick Bay | Nairn (Central) | |
Eyemouth | Nairn (East) | |
Geographic Location of Bathing Waters 2008
Map of Designated Bathing Waters - 2008
Map of Designated Bathing Waters - 2007
Compliance
The following table outlines compliance against the standards of the Directive since 1993. This shows that since that time compliance has been improving overall - with the exception of the summers of 2007 & 2008, largely as a result of massive investment by Scottish Water and its predecessors in sewerage infrastructure. However, as has been shown by our most recent results, work still needs to be done, particularly as the revised Directive introduces stricter standards. We are more aware of the impact that diffuse pollution (pollution from many sources) from agricultural and urban sources can have on bathing water quality, particularly after periods of heavy rain. Indeed, the poor results for 2007 and 2008 can be attributed to the extremely wet summer, leading to excess rainfall and sewage being discharged through Combined Sewer Outfalls and to the washing of livestock waste off fields.
Year | Passes (guideline) | Passes (mandatory) | Fail (%) | Total |
1993 | 3 (13%) | 15 (65%) | 5 (22%) | 23 |
1994 | 6 (26%) | 10 (43%) | 7 (30%) | 23 |
1995 | 5 (22%) | 15 (65%) | 3 (13%) | 23 |
1996 | 5 (22%) | 16 (70%) | 2 (9%) | 23 |
1997 | 5 (22%) | 14 (21%) | 4 (17%) | 23 |
1998 | 3 (13%) | 9 (39%) | 11 (48%) | 23 |
1999 | 26 (43%) | 27 (45%) | 7 (12%) | 60 |
2000 | 24 (40%) | 27 (45%) | 9 (15%) | 60 |
2001 | 24 (40%) | 27 (45%) | 9 (15%) | 60 |
2002 | 24 (40%) | 31 (52%) | 5 (8%) | 60 |
2003 | 38 (63%) | 19 (32%) | 3 (5%) | 60 |
2004 | 32 (53%) | 24 (40%) | 4 (7%) | 60 |
2005 | 33 (55%) | 24 (40%) | 3 (5%) | 60 |
2006 | 34 (54%) | 29 (46%) | 0 | 63 |
2007 | 29 (48%) | 25 (41%) | 7 (11%) | 61 |
2008 | 39 (49%) | 34 (43%) | 7 (9%) | 80 |
The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the residual risks of pollution that threaten bathing water compliance. We outlined our intention to do so in 2006's Bathing Water Strategy. Scottish Water is required by Ministers to continue the work to transform the water industry in Scotland through continuing investment and improved operational improvement. To tackle diffuse agricultural and rural pollution, the Government has introduced a range of measures, both through legislation and grant aid. We will also continue to work closely with stakeholders, and encourage a wider uptake, where suitable, of some of the innovative measures explored through our pilot projects to tackle diffuse pollution.
More detailed information on bathing water compliance can be found in the bathing water section of SEPA's website at www.sepa.org.uk