Scotland's Bathing Waters
Bathing waters are an important asset to people in Scotland, valuable both for tourism and for the recreational potential that they provide. It is therefore important that we give them the proper protection which they deserve and which is required under the European Union's current and revised Bathing Water Directives. These Directives require that water quality at all designated bathing waters meets stringent microbiological standards in order to protect the health of people who choose to bathe there.
For the 2008 bathing season (June 1 - September 15) there were 80 designated sites in Scotland - from Dunnet in the far north east of Scotland to Sandyhills in the south west. This includes an additional twenty sites newly identified for 2008 - an increase by a third over 2007. All but three of Scotland's designated bathing waters - Luss on Loch Lomond, Loch Morlich in the Cairngorms and Dores on Loch Ness - are salt water. Official bathing waters are spread around a wide area of Scotland, both next to urban areas and in remote rural locations, giving easy access to the majority of the Scottish population.
The following pages provide more information on Scotland's bathing waters, including where they are, their compliance, how they are protected, who is responsible and what role the public can play in the process.
We welcome feedback on any issues relating to bathing waters and how to improve these pages - please contact waterdivision@scotland.gsi.gov.uk with any comments/suggetions that you may have.
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