IN 2025 the highest number of Scotland’s bathing waters on record will meet the best environmental standards, with 87 per cent achieving excellent or good classifications.
A further ten per cent will meet the sufficient standard.
However, in Dumfries and Galloway no bathing waters achieved the excellent mark.
Southerness, Sandyhills, Rockcliffe and Brighouse Bay were all marked as good, while Dhoon Bay had a sufficient score.
For the year ahead, Scotland will have 89 designated bathing waters, of which 50 are excellent.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) routinely analyse water quality at all bathing water sites during the summer months to protect human health.
In tandem with environmental monitoring, SEPA work with operators and stakeholders across the country to direct action, including millions of pounds of investment, to improve bathing water quality.
Classifications are calculated at the end of the bathing water season using data from the previous four years. They apply to bathing waters for the duration of the following season.
Ruth Stidson, principal scientist for bathing waters at SEPA, said:
“The highest number of Scotland’s bathing waters rated excellent or good for 2025 represents tangible improvements following more than a decade of targeted investment and ongoing work with Scottish Water, land managers and stakeholders to improve our water environment.
“Scotland’s bathing waters monitoring programme has significantly expanded since it began in 1988 and has helped identify pollution issues so crucial improvement measures can be implemented and pollution reduced at the source.
“While we celebrate the improvements made so far, we are not complacent. We will continue our work to ensure these improvements are sustained and where necessary further improvements are made, so people can enjoy our bathing waters now and in the future.”
