Sunday Times chief travel writer Chris Haslam visited a remarkable 791 beaches on mainland Britain to collate the guide.
The little-known mile-long Sandhaven Beach, in South Shields on the north east coast of England, took home the title of Beach of the Year.
But there was also plenty of representation north of the border, with no less than nine Scottish beaches making the cut.
Rural beaches were rated for access, cleanliness and beauty, while urban beaches were marked up for criteria including bathing water quality, lifeguard provision, toilets and wildlife-management.
Here are the beaches you should be visiting this year, according to the guide. You can read about the full top 50 here.
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5. 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
6. Farr Bay
Situated on the north coast of Scotland, near the village of Bettyhill, Farr Bay is a white sandy beach that hosts a range of wildlife, including otters, seals and golden eagles. It's also a great spot for watersports, including kayaking, surfing and body boarding. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
7. Embo
Embo Sands is a beach in the village of the same name around an hour north of Inverness, just off the A9 road. It was highly praised for the Grannie’s Heilan’ Hame holiday park which has views over the beach and the Dornoch Firth. Photo: Google Maps
8. Roseisle
Located in Duffus, near Elgin in Moray, the six-mile long unspoilt beach at Roseisle is lined with majestic Scots pine trees. The hundreds of concrete anti-tank blocks left over from World War Two make excellent picnic tables. Photo: Canva/Getty Images