Beaches in the north east have been condemned by the government’s pollution watchdog in its first round of bathing water tests.
However, some coastal waters in the Highlands have been given the best possible ratings for their pristine waters by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Cruden Bay, Stonehaven and Lossiemouth, beaches were rated as ‘poor’ – the lowest mark that can be awarded under new European standards of testing.
It means that swimmers in the north-east over the summer could be at risk to dangerous bacteria and viruses if they choose to venture past the sands.
In total, 21 of Scotland’s 84 – or almost one in every four – beaches received the porr rating, with a further 13 failing marked as sufficient.
Among those beaches causing concern, nine had previously won awards from Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Dr Aileen McLeod, the Minister for environment, climate change and land reform, said it was important work continued to protect the country’s water.
This year’s survey is the first that the standardised European method has been used to test pollution.
Previously, Sepa has used a three-tier system to guide beach-goers based on single-day tests, defining water as guideline, mandatory or fail.
Scotland’s beaches will now instead be tested over four years for bacteria linked to both animal and human waste, including the E Coli virus and intestinal enterocci.
Dr McLeod said: “As we move towards the new classification method we must be diligent in continuing to protect our bathing waters. This includes ensuring our waste water facilities are operating efficiently, encouraging farmers to consider carefully the risk of organic manures entering our rivers, educating householders and businesses on the risk from septic tanks or misconnected drains.
“We will continue to work to ensure our bathing waters are of good quality for the Scottish public and our many visitors to enjoy.”
The Highlands can boast that four of its beaches are classified as pristine under the new guidelines.
Dornoch, Dunnet and Achmelvich’s waters were each given top marks.
Loch Morlich was also rated as excellent.
Three beaches in the north-east were also rated as excellent in the first phase of testing.
Those were Fraserburgh’s Philorth, Rosehearty and Inverboyndie.
The final water quality results for the season will be published in September.