Prestigious beach awards for Fringe of Gold

Publish Date: Friday May 31, 2024

Fife once again boasts the most award-winning beaches in Scotland. A lucky number of 13 beaches on the Fringe of Gold will be flying the prestigious Scotland’s Beach Award flag this summer.

Scotland’s Beach Award, from environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, celebrates clean, well-managed and sustainable beaches. They’ve handed out 51 in total from Shetland to South Ayrshire.

FCCT’s CEO Jeremy Harris said: “Once again Fife has the most award-winning beaches in Scotland. This is testament to our dedicated team who deliver the high standards that locals and visitors have come to expect.

Privilege

“It’s a privilege to work with partners such as Keep Scotland Beautiful, Fife Council and the RNLI to ensure the Fringe of Gold tops the beach charts. And I’m delighted that Leven Beach is once again included, where we expect to welcome many more visitors now that the Levenmouth rail link has gone live.”

Fife’s beaches are lynchpins of communities across the Kingdom, with stunning beauty spots ranging from rural to urban areas providing an attraction for locals and visitors.

Fife’s award-winning beaches are at: Aberdour Silver Sands, Aberdour Black Sands, Anstruther Billowness, Burntisland, Crail Roome Bay, Elie Harbour, Elie Ruby Bay, Kinghorn Pettycur Bay, Kingsbarns, Kirkcaldy Seafield, Leven, St Andrews East Sands and St Andrews West Sands.

Erosion

Jamie Ormiston, Training and Accreditation Coordinator at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Every year we are delighted at the standard of Scotland’s Beach Award winners across the country, especially as beach managers and local communities are battling increased erosion and more regular devastating winter storms, often with limited resources.

“Not only are they able to keep our beaches open and accessible, they are also maintaining facilities to a high standard and supporting local people and visitors to take action for the environment. It really is inspiring to witness.”

In order to achieve Scotland’s Beach Award, a range of criteria must be met, including beach safety, access and facilities, and cleanliness. Focusing on local environmental quality, the award is designed to complement the work undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on bathing water quality.

Download our Beaches leaflet to plan your visit.