Best Beaches Near Edinburgh
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best beaches near Edinburgh are Yellowcraig Beach, Tyninghame Beach, Haugh Road Beach, Whitesands Bay Beach, Seacliff Beach, Prestonpans Beach, Cove Harbour and Tentsmuir Sands Beach.
Edinburgh sits on the Firth of Forth, with the beaches of East Lothian strung out along the coast to the east and, across the water, the Fife and Berwickshire shores within a drive. The East Lothian coast is the heart of it: the dune-and-pinewood sands of Yellowcraig and Tyninghame near North Berwick, the quiet rock-pool beaches of Haugh Road in the town and Whitesands near Dunbar, and the red-sandstone cove of Seacliff with its tiny hand-blasted harbour.
West toward the city, the rocky Forth foreshore at Prestonpans draws walkers over its wide tidal flats. Further off lie two contrasting spots: the old smugglers' harbour of Cove below its cliffs on the Berwickshire coast, and, over the Forth in Fife, the vast building sands and pine forest of Tentsmuir at the mouth of the Tay.
Some are minutes from the city, others a scenic drive round the coast. Here are eight beaches to seek out near Edinburgh.
Yellowcraig Beach
Photo: Mike Pennington via Geograph.org.uk
Yellowcraig is a sandy beach backed by dunes and pine woodland on the East Lothian coast, just north of Dirleton and a few miles west of North Berwick. A large car park sits back from the sand through the trees, with toilets, a barbecue area, bike racks and a children's play park among the pines.
Offshore lie the islands of Fidra, Craigleith and the Bass Rock, with Fidra and its 1885 lighthouse a seabird reserve where puffins breed. The beach is on the John Muir Way and has rock pools at low tide, an easy and well-loved family spot.
Tyninghame Beach
Photo: Richard Webb via Geograph.org.uk
Tyninghame Beach spreads as a broad band of sand behind dunes and woodland where the River Tyne meets the sea in East Lothian, all within John Muir Country Park. Strictly speaking the wide sands are Ravensheugh Sands, though Tyninghame is the name everyone actually uses.
Families, dog walkers and kite flyers make good use of it, and offshore the Bass Rock rises into view. To reach the beach you park at the Tyninghame Links car park at the end of Limetree Walk, then walk out through the woodland and links to the shore.
That short approach helps keep the sands feeling wonderfully quiet.
Haugh Road Beach
Photo: Anne Burgess via Geograph.org.uk
Haugh Road Beach is a small beach on the eastern edge of North Berwick in East Lothian, reached from Haugh Road where there is a car park above the shore. It sits just along from the town's main sandy bay at Milsey Bay, a mix of pale sand and rock with pools at low tide, sheltered and quiet, looking out to the Bass Rock and along the Firth of Forth.
The harbour, the seabird centre and the town's other beaches are a short walk to the west. It is a spot for a stroll, a paddle and rock pools rather than a busy resort beach.
Whitesands Bay Beach
Photo: Richard Webb via Geograph.org.uk
Whitesands Bay Beach is a small, shallow sandy bay lying a couple of miles south-east of Dunbar in East Lothian, its fine pale sand edged by rocky patches, low cliffs and rock pools that appear at low tide. Behind the beach a large grassland car park provides toilets and a picnic area, tucked off a single-track road.
From here a geology trail heads east along the coast towards Barns Ness and its lighthouse. Rural and peaceful, this is a spot not to be muddled with Belhaven Bay over on the far side of Dunbar.
Come for a low-key afternoon of pottering among the pools.
Seacliff Beach
Photo: Walter Baxter via Geograph.org.uk
Seacliff is a red-sandstone beach and rocky cove on the East Lothian coast, a few miles east of North Berwick, with wide views to the Bass Rock offshore and Tantallon Castle along the shore. Its curiosity is a tiny harbour blasted out of the sandstone in 1890, often said to be one of the smallest harbours in Britain, with an entrance only a few metres wide.
The beach is reached by a private estate road with a barrier and a parking charge, and much of the sand covers at high tide. The ruins of Seacliff House, gutted by fire in 1907, stand above.
Prestonpans Beach
Photo: Richard Webb via Geograph.org.uk
Prestonpans Beach is a rocky, boulder-strewn stretch of the Firth of Forth shore at the town of Prestonpans in East Lothian, more a wild tidal foreshore than a sandy bathing beach. At low tide a long, stony intertidal zone opens out, with wide views across the firth to Fife, and it is a favourite with dog walkers and coastal walkers rather than sunbathers.
The John Muir Way, a long-distance coastal route, passes through the town, and there are no beach facilities on the shore itself. Being closest to the city, it is an easy stretch for a walk by the water.
Cove Harbour
Photo: Brian Turner via Geograph.org.uk
Cove Harbour The only way in is through a tunnel hacked by hand through the cliff, which opens suddenly onto the beach and the little inner harbour below red sandstone walls on the Berwickshire coast, near Cockburnspath. Chambers hollowed off the passage once held fish, and by local repute smuggled goods too.
A handful of creel boats still work out of here, and the cottages and pier look half carved from the living rock they lean against. It is the sort of place you reach and feel you have slipped out of the everyday for an hour.
Tentsmuir Sands Beach
Photo: Gordon Hatton via Geograph.org.uk
Tentsmuir Sands Beach The sand here is quietly gaining ground, one of the fastest-building coasts in Britain, spreading in a broad firm sweep at the mouth of the River Tay. Behind it, dunes climb into a great pine forest threaded with walking and cycling trails, all part of a national nature reserve near Tayport on the Fife coast.
Grey and common seals both haul out on the sandbanks offshore, a rare double bill, and birds crowd the shallows alongside them. Leave the car among the trees, walk out to the water, and settle at the hides tucked away at the point.
FAQs
Is Yellowcraig a good family beach near Edinburgh?
Yellowcraig near North Berwick is a firm family favourite within reach of Edinburgh, with dune-backed sand, pinewood, a play park and rock pools, looking out to Fidra's lighthouse island where puffins breed. Tyninghame, a wide sandy beach in John Muir Country Park at the mouth of the Tyne, is another easy, well-loved spot with room for kites and dogs.
Where can you find curious sights on the beaches near Edinburgh?
Seacliff near North Berwick has a tiny harbour blasted out of the red sandstone in 1890, often called one of the smallest in Britain, with Tantallon Castle along the shore. Cove Harbour on the Berwickshire coast is a smugglers' haven reached through a hand-cut cliff tunnel, and Tentsmuir on the Tay is known for its hauled-out seals.
Which beaches near Edinburgh are best for a quiet coastal walk?
Prestonpans, closest to Edinburgh, is a rocky Forth foreshore with wide tidal flats on the John Muir Way, good for a walk rather than a swim. Whitesands near Dunbar has a coastal geology trail to Barns Ness lighthouse, and the vast building sands of Tentsmuir run into pine-forest trails behind the dunes.
Conclusion
Edinburgh sits on the Firth of Forth, with the beaches of East Lothian strung out to the east and the Fife and Berwickshire shores within a drive. The East Lothian coast is the heart of it, with the dune-and-pinewood sands of Yellowcraig and Tyninghame, the quiet rock-pool beaches of Haugh Road and Whitesands, and the red-sandstone cove of Seacliff with its tiny hand-blasted harbour.
Closer to the city, the rocky Forth foreshore at Prestonpans draws walkers, while further off lie the smugglers' harbour of Cove and, over the Forth in Fife, the vast sands and pine forest of Tentsmuir. From a family beach below the Bass Rock to a seal-watched strand on the Tay, these are the beaches to seek out near Edinburgh.
