Beaches across the north and north east have been honoured for their high quality.
In total 26 beaches in the north of Scotland were recognised for their high environmental and water quality at the Scottish Beach Awards.
The Highlands boasts 12 winners. They are:
- Achmelvich Bay
- Sango Sands
- Strathy Bay
- Melvich Beach
- Brora Beach
- Golspie Beach
- Embo
- Dornoch Beach
- Portmahomack
- Shandwick Bay
- Nairn Central
- Loch Morlich
In Aberdeenshire eight beaches were listed, they were:
- Inverboyndie Beach
- Fraserburgh Esplanade
- Waters of Philorth at Fraserburgh
- Peterhead Lido
- Cruden Bay
- Collieston
- Balmedie Beach
- Stonehaven Beach
The Shetland winners were:
- West Voe
- St Ninians Isle
- West Sandwick, Tresta
- The Sands of Breckon
Aberdeen Beach was also recognised.
The Scottish Beach Awards, which started in 1993, celebrate the best managed coastal areas in the country and soon flags from the awards will be flying at the 60 award winning beaches across Scotland.
Derek Robertson, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, believes the awards are important for showcasing the best Scotland has to offer.
He said: “The Scottish Beach Awards set the standard for our stunning coastlines and inland shores – making sure that they are litter free, provide excellent facilities for families and encourage more visitors to our beautiful beaches.
“Going to the beach is a tradition that we want to continue, whilst protecting this valuable environment.
“It is vital that we maintain our support for organisations efforts to ensure that coastlines offer a great day out whilst recognising the wider benefits of a good quality environment for people’s health and wellbeing and local economies.”
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, added: “The Scottish Beach Awards play an important role in keeping our beautiful shorelines to a high standard.
“Trips to the seaside are incredibly popular, with our new Scotland Visitor Survey revealing that more than a third of our visitors enjoy going to the beach while on holiday.
“We would like to congratulate all the winners of this year’s awards and wish everyone a successful summer season.”
