Bring on the beaches

The notion of beaches in Scotland may be perplexing to some. For most of the year, simply avoiding the gale force winds and investing in a reliable set of ear muffs is an impressive accomplishment.

The idea of travelling outside Edinburgh's city centre rarely evokes images of anything apart from craggy expeditions and cosy B&Bs. However, the land has to end somewhere, and come springtime Edinburgh's coasts can offer at least four of the five requisite qualities of what is known as a 'beach' (give this a think...) and are downright lovely:

Yellowcraigs Beach, surrounded by the Firth of Forth and the village of Dirleton, is an idyllic and largely unpopulated spot that provides all the necessary comforts of a beachy day (sand, dogs and some breath-taking rock formations). If you've got a car and mates, you really can't go wrong.

Then there's Portobello. Located about 5km from the city centre, the flat beach and its surrounding town is half beach, half cultural time capsule. Looking like a combination of Omaha beach and the Jersey shore, with flat, brown beaches, a 70s style promenade, and even a throwback penny arcade, the effect is luckily more nostalgic than post-apocalyptic. That said, if you visit at odd hours or when the weather's a bit rough, the thought of an imminent dystopia (whether by zombie, disease or nuclear war) can feel uncomfortably real.

Itchy's only experience with North Berwick was when it ended up there at 6am with the staff of St. Andrew's student newspaper after being offered a coveted spot in a birthday cab after club hours; after all, as the old saying goes, 'Never turn down a coveted spot in a birthday cab after club hours'.

Not to be confused with Berwick, which is rumoured to be where Edinburgh sends its elderly and infirm to die, North Berwick is only a few train stops away and a truly lovely destination for a daytime jaunt. Berwickians (as anthropologists like to call them) are a timid species with the most soothing accents this side of Aberdeen, who are known to enjoy such local amenities such as: boats, seafood, large rocks and indigenous birds.

Scottish beach-going isn't merely a thing of folklore and Homeric myth. Now that you are armed with this knowledge, Itchy wishes you the best in your seaside travels.

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