It comes as Chris Haslam, the publication's award-winning chief travel writer, selected the UK’s top 50 beaches from a total of 756 that he personally visited and inspected on a month-long campervan tour of the British and Northern Irish coasts.
The 17th edition of the annual guide showcases the unrivalled beauty of the UK seaside, evaluated through a rigorous 11-point inspection checklist. Criteria include water quality, cleanliness, accessibility, car-parking facilities, lifeguard presence, hygiene levels at restrooms and showers, and dog-friendliness.
Seacliff, in East Lothian, is Scotland’s beach of the year, but the Sunday Times also selected other beaches across the country, which you can see by browsing our photo gallery.
In his description of Seacliff, Haslam says: “Hidden at the west end is the smallest harbour in the British Isles. About the size of a hotel pool, it’s a steampunk fantasy cut out of the sandstone using a steam engine and a compressor in 1890 by laird of the manor Andrew Laidlay.”
Take a look through our gallery to see Scotland's 8 best beaches, according to the Sunday Times.
1. 1st - Seacliff beach
Seacliff beach is located in a corner of East Lothian, five miles east of North Berwick and to the south east of Tantallon Castle. The sweeping Seacliff beach takes the fifth spot as most Instagrammable in the country (Photo: Shutterstock) Photo: Shutterstock
2. Rhu Point beach
Rhu Point beach is described as a ‘secret beach’ as it’s only accessible on foot or via small boat. It has everything you could ever want in a beach, peace and tranquility, and near untouched white sand and blue seas. | Wild about Lochaber
3. Achmelvich Beach
Regularly topping the list of Scotland's cleanest beaches, Achmelvich Beach is in the north west of Scotland, three miles north west of Lochinver, and accessed by a single track road. One happy visitor said: "This is an incredible beach that you must visit. It's one of the best beaches in the UK. It looks stunning during sunny days and is a perfect spot for paddleboarding or enjoying water activities." | Steve Bittinger/Flickr/CC
4. Vestey's Beach
SItting on the coast of the community-owned lands of the Assynt Foundation, an hour north of Ullapool, if you visit Vestey’s Beach and Achmelvich Sands on a sunny day you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Caribbean - such is the perfect mix of white sand and inviting turquoise water. Photo: Canva/Getty Images