Two more Aberdeenshire beaches celebrate 20 years of environmental excellence

Aberdeenshire’s Stonehaven and Inverboyndie beaches have successfully achieved award status for the 20th consecutive year in Scotland's Beach Awards by Keep Scotland Beautiful. 

Scotland’s Beach Awards celebrates the achievements of well managed beaches across Scotland, meaning visitors and locals can chose where they want to visit with the knowledge that the beach is being looked after for people, nature, and the environment.  

A total of 52 beaches received the award this year, eight of which were in Aberdeenshire: 

Councillor Alan Turner, Aberdeenshire Council Infrastructure Services Committee Chair, said: “This achievement reflects a true collective effort. From the continued support and hard work of local communities alongside the year-round commitment of Landscape and Waste teams who work tirelessly in all conditions, and often out of public view, to clear debris from daily tides, respond to the impacts of winter storms, and ensure the beaches remain clean, safe, and welcoming.  

“These beaches are a vital asset to our coastal communities, serving as major attractions for visitors from across the country and beyond. They support new attractions and growing businesses, from the surf school at Inverboyndie, the paddleboarding service that tours Stonehaven beachfront, to the unique metal sculptures of local "Bansky" Jim Malcolm all contributing to the local tourism economy.  

“Looking ahead, the council remains committed to balancing the needs of residents with the expectations of visitors, ensuring these valued coastal spaces and habitats continue to thrive while preserving the qualities that make them so special.”  

Barry Fisher, CEO at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Scotland's Beach Awards are the benchmark for quality, celebrating clean, well-managed and sustainable beaches. Our award-winning beaches are all beautiful but seeing that flag flying means visitors can be assured that they are being looked after for people and nature.  

“It is amazing to see the consistency of standards and continuation of award status matters to those who apply year after year, and I’d like to thank all those, in councils and communities, who do so much to protect, maintain, and enhance our beaches, protecting the sand and sea for us all to enjoy.” 

To gain an 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. The full criteria can be accessed via Keep Scotland Beautiful’s website. 

Scotland's Beach Awards is the only accreditation for beach management of its kind in Scotland that includes an on-site assessment of every beach.  

Keep Scotland Beautiful is a charity that works to combat climate change, reduce litter and waste, restore nature and biodiversity, and improve places. 

A map showing all the award-winning beaches with directions, facilities and images can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/beach