There are two main and very popular beaches in Edinburgh: Portobello and Silverknowes / Cramond. Both are fine sandy beaches. Portobello beach is busier, with shops and cafes on the promenade. Silverknowes / Cramond beach, is on the edge of the city and is much quieter.
Portobello Beach, Edinburgh
The beach at Portobello runs for some two miles (3.2km) and is a fine sandy beach. Running alongside the beach is a promenade on the promenade are seaside shops, cafes and some amusement arcades.
The beach is a wide beach, around xx yards (xx m) at its widest point. It is made up of a soft sand with little in the way of rocks or seaweed to spoil your enjoyment.
Running perpendicular along the whole beach are a series of groynes which hold the sand in place and stop it being blown away by the wind and the tides, which can especially high in winter.
The sea that laps the beach, as for all beaches around Edinburgh and its surrounding coast, is actually the estuary of the River Forth as it widens before emptying into the North Sea. Because of its proximity to the sea it is salty. In Scots, an estuary is called a ‘firth’, hence the name, the Firth of Forth.
The beach has a shallow shelf that slopes gently into the sea. It’s ideal for paddling and swimming. The sea isn’t warm though, so be prepared for a cold shock as you plunge into the chilly waters. The sea is at its warmest around September after the summer sun has warmed it up.
The beach faces north east, and so gets most of its sun in the earlier part of the day.
Seas around Scotland are classified for safe or unsafe swimming by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, which classified Portobello Beach as “sufficient” (the four classifications are Excellent, Good, Sufficient and Poor).
The Forth is fine for swimming though. A cold water swimming club, The Wild Ones, is popular at Portobello! Just be aware that the water can be very cold.
Getting To Portobello Beach
By Bus
As with getting anywhere in Edinburgh, it’s best to get there by bus. Edinburgh buses are frequent and cheap. The direct services from the city centre are numbers 26, 42, 49 and 124. It takes about 20-25 minutes to travel by bus from the city centre to Portobello town centre, depending on traffic
By Car
There are several car parks off Portobello High Street although these are often very busy in the summer months. On street parking is also available and is free on Sundays.
By Bike
Pick up a JustEat cycle anywhere and cycle to Portobello. It’s an easy cycle to Portobello from the city centre as it’s mostly downhill, although be careful as the streets are often very busy. And if you’re too tired to cycle back, just leave the bike at the JustEat cycle station at western end of the promenade and jump on a bus.
Silverknowes Beach, Edinburgh
The long beach on the north side of the city is actually two beaches that merge into one another. If you continue walking west along Silverknowes beach you come to the little suburb (it used to be a little village) of Cramond and its beach.
As well as being a fine, quiet beach it also has wide views over the Forth to Fife and the three Forth Bridges are off int he distance to the left.
A wide promenade runs the whole length of the beach, which is around a mile and a half (2.4km) long. The width of the promenade makes it suitable for walking, jogging, skating and leisurely cycling.
The beach at Silverknowes is a long, wide sandy beach that borders the sparkling but cold waters of the Firth of Forth. It faces due north but has little or no buildings behind it and so, in summer, gets the sun for most of the day.
There is a beach cafe at around the half-way point on the promenade called the Boardwalk Beach Club with seating inside and outside.
When the tide is out, a wide expanse of sand is revealed which is great for walking and playing. There is also an island in the Forth called Cramond Island and when the tide is out you can walk out to it.
Cramond Island
The island is about a third of mile (0.54 km) long and covers an area of 19 acres (7.70 ha). A concrete causeway to the island makes it easy to cross and it takes around 10 minutes to cross to the island. The causeway runs beside a line of concrete posts which were constructed during World War Two as an anti-boat boom or defence.
Walking across to Cramond island makes for a very pleasant part of a walk along Silverknowes beach.
CautionThe causeway is covered by several feet of water when the tide is in. Make sure that you know the tide times before setting out. The tide coves the causeway very quickly and if you leave it late, you’ll be stranded on the island. There is a sign at the start of the causeway giving tide times or you can text ‘cramond’ to the coastguard on 81400 for up to date information.
Getting To Silverknowes / Cramond Beach
To Silverknowes by bus: take the numbers 16, 27 or 37 to the terminus at Silverknowes and walk from the bus stop down to the seaside, about a 10 minute walk.
To Cramond by bus: take the number 41 bus to Cramond Green and walk down to the beach.
By car: Silverknowes beach has plenty of free parking on Marine Drive. Cramond has a car park at the bottom of Cramond Village (that’s the name of the street)
Cramond
At the western end of Silverknowes beach your path is halted by the mouth of the River Almond as it empties into the Firth of Forth. It’s a beautiful stop however, as you’re now in the village of Cramond.
Although Cramond is now simply a suburb of Edinburgh, incorporated into the city boundary in 1920, for a long, long time it was a village in its own right, nestling by the waters of the River Almond.
I say a long long time because Cramond (not Edinburgh) was one of the places in Scotland that the Romans occupied, in around AD142. So when you leave the beach at the river, it’s worth exploring the area.
Cramond was an outpost of the Antonine Wall, the great turf wall that stretches across Scotland. Named after the Emperor Antoninus Pius, it was built around 138. Less well-known than it’s southern cousin, Hadrian’s Wall, much of the Antonine Wall may still be seen and walked today.
Sadly, at Cramond, no actual buildings remain of the Roman settlements, which included a large fort built by the invading army of the second invasion of 209 and commanded by the Emperor himself, Septimius Severus.
However, the stone outlines of the Roman barracks and granaries may still be seen adjacent to the Cramond Kirkyard. Search also for the remains of the Roman bath house.
The most famous discovery was in 1997 when a large carved stone lioness was recovered from the mouth of the River Almond.It’s a powerful carving, showing a lion devouring a man who has his hands tied behind his back. To see it however, you need to leave Cramond and head for the National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street.
Great Beaches Outside Of Edinburgh
East of Edinburgh are the beautiful beaches of Yellowcraig at Gullane, Direlton (also called Yellowcraigs) and at North Berwick. Take the bus or drive to Gullane and Direlton. North Berwick also has a railway station so you can take the train as well as the bus and car.
Also easily reached by train across the Forth Bridge are the Fife beaches at Aberdour, Burntisland and Kinghorn, where the beach is called Pettycur Bay.