Izzy Gray

Edinburgh is one of the greatest cities in the UK for famous sites, cute pubs and bags of culture, but one aspect of the Scottish capital that’s often overlooked is the litany of lovely beaches.  Whether it’s views across the Forth or the rugged beauty of East Lothian you’re after, there are plenty of beaches on Edinburgh’s doorstep to whittle away long sunny days. It’s ice-cream, fish ‘n’ chips and chilly ice-water dips galore up here. These are the very best beaches in Edinburgh. RECOMMENDED:🍻The best pubs in Edinburgh🎭The best things to do in Edinburgh🏰The best attractions in Edinburgh🏩The best Airbnbs in Edinburgh This guide was written by Izzy Gray, a writer based in Edinburgh. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

There are many reasons why you should visit Edinburgh during the summer (particularly when, post-lockdown, it's looking likely that we'll be holidaying closer to home), yet perhaps most overlooked is the city's coastal location.  Edinburgh has countless beautiful beaches on its doorstep, and whether its views across the Forth you're after or the rugged beauty of East Lothian, you don't have to look far to find the perfect spot to whittle away those long sunny days. Here's a round-up of the best beaches the area has to offer... 1. Cramond A short ride on the number 41 bus will take you straight to the quaint hamlet of Cramond, where whitewashed houses overlook the Firth of Forth.  The beach at Cramond is vast, and can change dramatically as the tide comes and goes.  At certain times of the day, you can walk across the kilometre-long causeway to the mysterious Cramond Island, but just remember to check the tide times first - you don't want to end up marooned with the gulls! The village may be small but it's certainly endearing, and you'll be sure of a friendly welcome at the harbour-front inn. Cramond Island   2. Portobello 'Porty Beach', as it is fondly known, is one of Edinburgh's nearest and most popular beaches. Just a 15 minute bus ride from the city centre, the traditional seaside town draws in huge crowds on a sunny day, and it's easy to see why; with over two kilometres of golden sands, a lengthy promenade, amusement arcades and even Turkish Baths to explore, there's

Edinburgh is simply one of the best places to go to uni in the UK. The city's beautiful, there's so much to explore and the education isn't bad either! Here's 21 things you'll know if you go to university here. 1. You'll leave the bookshop feeling satisfied, having spent a considerable sum of money on shiny new textbooks for the year...... only to discover that they are available for a quarter of the price in the second-hand shop next door. 2. You'll find yourself being talked into all sorts of weird and wonderful societies. Quidditch in the Meadows? Sure! Whisky tasting society? Why not?     // (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); // Posted by Edinburgh Holyrood Hippogriffs on Saturday, 23 May 2015 3. 'I love the Hive!' is a phrase you will never hear...... and yet, somehow, you'll always end up there. 4. You'll quickly learn to leave plenty of time to get between lectures.   Yes, it may look five minutes away on a map, but that doesn't take into account the fact that you will have to negotiate cobbles, hills, Fringe performers, charity fundraisers, dead-end streets, narrow closes which seem to lead you into another dimension altogether... you get the gist.   5. There is a big difference between The Mosque Kitchen and

The warm weather has finally appeared and the arrival of an improved climate brings a new atmosphere and range of uniquely summery occurrences to our fair city. You know it's summer in Edinburgh when... 1. Bobby's nose turns gold What can I say?  Tourists just can't get enough of petting that pooch's nose. <img id="2294977b-c25d-1ba2-6115-7ca06775948f" data-caption="" data-credit="Charles Hailbronner flickr.com/photos/chailbronner" data-width-class="" type="image/jpeg" total="2078047" loaded="2078047" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102607185/image.jpg" alt="Greyfriars Bobby" class="photo lazy inline"> Charles Hailbronner flickr.com/photos/chailbronner 2. Everyone turns up to the office on Monday with a suspicious red tinge Despite only seeing the sun for about 10% of the year, it seems us Scots will never appreciate the true value of a good suncream. 3. As a rule of thumb, anything that can be, will be turned into a beer garden <img align="middle" class="photo lazy inline" id="13a1bf80-f70d-883a-e0c4-a0ae35de310e" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102605370/image.jpg" type="image/jpeg" data-caption="" data-credit="Underbelly Limited, flickr.com/photos/underbellyltd" data-width-class="100" total="177128" loaded="177128"> Underbelly Limited, flickr.com/photos/underbellyltd   4. The 'Sun's oot, taps aff!' mentality sets in Which is not always a good thing... 5.