8 Family Friendly Beaches in Scotland

The Scottish coastline stretches almost ten thousand kilometres and consists of beautiful shores, dramatic cliffs, fjord like lochs and over 900 islands. It is a coastline full of exquisite natural beauty and abundant wildlife. If you are taking a young family on a coastal break to Scotland and you need a good family friendly beach, here is a list of 8 family friendly beaches in Scotland you should consider.

Aberdour Silver Sands, Fife

Aberdour Silver Sands lies on the coast of Fife and is blessed with soft pale sand overlooking the scenic islands of Inchcolm and Inchmickery. Behind this fabulous beach there is a wood, which protects it from any offshore winds.  This is an extremely peaceful beach but has all the facilities a family could need for a great day by the sea, including easy parking, toilets and a beach café.  The Fife Coastal Path runs past the beach so you can enjoy some wonderful nature trails.

Burntisland, Fife

This crescent shaped beach lies on the east of Burntisland and overlooks the iconic Firth of Forth. This sandy beach has plenty of rock pools for the kids to explore and there are lots of other fun activities including a leisure centre, a park with a crazy golf course, picnic tables and in the summer there’s a fairground and a bouncy castle. The local town has plenty to visit and enjoy including historical sights, cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Ruby Bay

This fabulous beach is the perfect escape to get away from the crowds at Elie beach resort. It is a stunning, protected beach with soft sand and rock pools. If you love nature, you’re in for a treat because this is a bird watcher’s paradise. The Fife Coastal Path passes nearby the beach and links you to Elie, where all the cafes, pubs and restaurants are.

Leven East Beach

Fife promises one more excellent family friendly beach, which overlooks the Firth of Forth. Leven East is a broad sandy beach with an easy access promenade, picnic tables, a grassed area, a kid’s park, a skate park an exercise station and even a golf course. The soft sand is ideal for sandcastle building and the shore shelves gently, so perfect for a paddle and a swim. It’s difficult not to have a great day here.

Dunure Beach

Dunure Beach lies along the shores of the pretty harbour town of Maybole in Ayrshire. Perched upon the cliffs stands Dunure Castle, which is worth a visit, and you can catch a boat trip from the harbour. The harbour also houses a great restaurant but there are other great places to eat, drink and shop in Maybole.

Roseisle Beach

Roseisle Beach is a gorgeous beach with soft sand that lies on the coast of Moray at the foot of the Roseisle Forest. The forest pine trees give this stunning beach a Mediterranean feel but also protect it from the winds. This is a wild place which abounds in natural beauty and wildlife, but it also has a little park and a play area for kids. Bring a picnic as there are no restaurants but there are picnic tables and toilets.

East Beach, Lossiemouth

Another beautiful beach on the coast of Moray is East Beach. It lies on the east side of Lossie Harbour, opposite West Beach, which is west of the harbour. Both beaches are stunning but East Beach is backed by wild sand dunes and boasts the longer strip of pristine white sand and pebbles. At the end of the beach, you can find the lovely harbour town of Lossiemouth, which has great shops and bars. To the West there is an impressive lighthouse worth exploring from which you might spot a resident bottlenose dolphin.

Coldingham Bay 

Coldingham Bay lies on the Berwickshire coastline near Edinburgh. It is a surfer beach but very dog friendly too. It is about a mile long and there are lots of rockpools at both ends, crawling with marine life. There is also a magnificent nature trail from Coldingham to the neighbouring village of St Abbs, which skims the crystalline waters and takes in the amazing local wildlife. Next door lies the St Abbs Head Nature Reserve.

Whether you are travelling with pets, on a budget holiday, or planning a five star break with a hot tub you'll find a top selection of Scottish coastal cottages advertised on Beachlets, all of which are within easy reach of a family friendly beach.