
The Scottish beach just outside of Edinburgh named 'best in the country'
When the weather is nice, nothing hits quite like a day at the beach. While there is certainly no shortage of fabulous bays in Scotland, the Daily Record's latest Walk of the Week was just named the best in the country.
Gullane Beach is a sandy bay in East Lothian, around 20 miles out of Edinburgh. It is one of the most renowned beaches along the East Lothian coast.
On Wednesday, July 30, holiday rental portal Holidu analysed Google Maps user data for over 9,500 beaches to reveal the most loved UK beaches for 2025. Gullane topped the list for Scotland with a rating of 4.8 out of five.
Also known as Gullane Bents, the bay is family -friendly and is a popular destination for activities such as windsurfing and kitesurfing. If it is a more relaxing day out you are looking for, it is also perfect for sunbathing as you listen to the soothing sounds of the waves.
The experts praised Gullane for its magnificent views out over the Firth of Forth and its golden sands. It was also singled out as a top destination for golf lovers, with famous courses such as Muirfield and Archerfield Links just a short walk away.
Meanwhile, after you are done soaking in the views on the beach, the town of Gullane offers a variety of popular food and drink venues. Among these is The Bonnie Badger pub and restaurant with rooms, where you can enjoy delicious seafood dishes.
Holidu wrote: "Gullane Beach in East Lothian, Scotland, is a true Scottish standout, uniquely blending stunning natural beauty with a world-renowned golfing backdrop. This expansive golden sand beach offers breathtaking panoramic views across the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh and Fife.
"However, what truly sets Gullane apart is its direct adjacency to some of Scotland's most prestigious golf courses like Gullane Golf Club and Muirfield, making it a unique destination where the pristine shoreline meets legendary fairways."
Read on for some images showcasing why Gullane Beach is a great spot for a walk. Elsewhere, the full list of the best beaches in the UK can be found on the Holidu website.
For additional travel inspiration, a few of the Daily Record's previous Walks of the Week can be found here:

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
8 hours ago
- Daily Record
Guest at Highlands wedding travelled 16 hours to be asked to leave
The wedding guest, who travelled 16 hours to attend her friend's big day, was left "mortified" after being asked to leave. A woman who travelled 16 hours to attend a friend's Scottish wedding was left gobsmacked when she was asked to leave post-ceremony. The guest was buzzing in anticipation of the event, which was being hosted by her workmate. However, her elation turned to humiliation when she was unceremoniously told to exit following the ceremony. Writing on Reddit, she said: "I was absolutely mortified." She had relished the beautiful ceremony alongside another colleague, eagerly awaiting the chance to snap photos with the bride and settle in for the wedding breakfast. But upon arrival at the reception, she was met with bewilderment as her name was absent from the seating plan. She continued: "We get to the venue and like everyone else are checking the table plan for our seats, and still checking, but can't find our names. The Master of Ceremonies comes over and asks to see our invites. He flatly states we were only invited to the church and evening drinks and that we need to leave. It was in tiny small print that our invite wasn't for the meal." Following the mortifying mix-up, the wedding attendee and her mate promptly "slipped away". She continued: "Neither my colleague nor I had realised we weren't included in the whole event and the bride later let it slip she only invited people from the office because our boss had told her it was the polite thing to do. We had thought we were friends with her." Still dressed to the nines, the duo opted to hunt down a nearby café in the Highlands to kill some time for the following five hours, while the remaining guests celebrated. The Reddit poster continued: "We found a local greasy spoon and have a bacon roll and tea, then decide to go back to the bed and breakfast to freshen up. The lady was furious and tried to feed us up bless her. She then drove us back to the evening ceremony at 7pm. "By this point everyone at the venue was sloppy drunk as they'd been drinking for five hours, and we find out we were the only ' evening guests '." The pair attempted to have a good time but departed the wedding at 10pm. She remarked: "We got a lift from a kind local and went to a local bar where we were entertained by more locals who had heard of our fate from the BandB owner. "We had the breakfast of gods the next morning and were told if we ever go back to be assured that is not how the local people treat their guests. We had ended up having a fun night because of the locals. They really did save the day in more ways than one." The guest said she now gleaned a lesson from her ordeal, adding: "I now scrutinise wedding invites and if I'm only invited to the evening part that's cool but at least I'm informed." However, she did get her own back. She elaborated: "We had put £50 each in the card envelope and chipped in for a beautiful bedding set on her registry at Debenhams so our gifts were worth £100 each. We took the money out of the card and just gave her the bedding." The wedding blunder sparked hundreds of comments from Reddit users. One person opined: "It is just rude to invite a person to the morning and the evening part but not the eating part. Either you invite them to all or only evening. This grinds my gears!". Another chimed in: "My cousin did that. We still talk about how inconsiderate it was years later, so much that when my fiancé and I decided on an afternoon ceremony, that was one of the reasons." "Well that is really rude," another said.


Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
The ancient seaside town featuring in a new ITV drama – and you can stay for £26
THE new ITV drama Karen Pirie has viewers gripped, and they can't help but check out the backdrop of Scotland too. One of the filming locations included in the second series is Kinghorn in Fife, which has a beautiful coastline and a holiday park along the bay that offers stays from just £26. 5 ITV series Karen Pirie filmed in various places around Scotland Credit: Rex 5 One of those was Kinghorn in Fife Credit: Alamy Kinghorn is a coastal town and popular seaside resort in Fife. It's got rich history too dating back to the Mesolithic era, it's also known as "Kingdom of Fife" and was once the home of many Scottish monarchs. Nowadays it is well-known for its two sandy beaches, Kinghorn Harbour beach and Pettycur Bay beach, which are what is listed as the best thing to do on Tripadvisor. One visitor to Pettycur Bay wrote: "Just love this little gem! When the tide is out there's a ridiculously huge expansive beach that goes for miles. "It's never mobbed there I can't understand why because it's an awesome place. On a clear day, there are good views of the Forth bridges." Anyone who wants to head to Kinghorn on a break can stay at the Pettycur Bay Holiday Park. The park is found on a hill overlooking the Firth of Forth, so you will almost always have the best views around. As for facilities, the Pettycur Bay Holiday Park has an indoor swimming pool, amusement arcade, and children's play areas both indoors and outdoors. There's also a restaurant, a lounge bar and live entertainment like quizzes, magic shows and singers. As for where to stay, you can choose from five different types of caravans which vary in style, quality, and features. New Center Parcs to open in Scotland with 700 lodges 5 The holiday park looks over Pettycur Bay Credit: Alamy 5 Facilities include a swimming pool and gaming arcade Credit: Pettycur The caravan's range from two stars, like Raith, to Balbirnie which is the executive five stars caravan. Guests can also stay on the Pettycur Bay campsite with pitches from £26 per night. When one writer visited Pettycur Bay Holiday Park, he said that it felt like he was in a "different world." He continued to add that supplies could be picked up at the small shop in the Bay Hotel, less than a five-minute walk away. And with a swimming pool, bar and restaurant there was actually no need to venture outside the park. The holiday park is also one hour away from the popular cities of St Andrews and Edinburgh. Currently, Kinghorn in Fife is starring in the ITV detective drama, Karen Pirie. Other filming locations include Loch Locmond, Glasgow, Glenrothes, and the historic Caiplie Caves. Plus, the Center Parcs boss reveals what to expect from brand new holiday park in Scotland – and future village locations. And the popular seaside town dubbed a 'must-visit' set for HUGE £16million retail and restaurant development.


Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Tourists book 'hotel' for Italian holiday but arrive to something totally different
Matt Hey was excited to spend a few days of his European holiday relaxing at a resort in Sorrento, but he was in for a big surprise when he arrived at the accommodation A tourist was left baffled after arriving at what he believed was a luxury resort in Sorrento, Italy, only to find that his party were the only guests there. Matt Hey, from Sydney, Australia, had been travelling across Europe for four weeks, living in cheap accommodation in cities like London, Rome and Pisa to make the most of the experience travellling with friends. However, the party then decided to splash out on their next accommodation. As they were heading towards the Italian coastal town Sorrento, they decided to book in to what they believed was a luxurious resort by the sea. However, they soon realised their mishap when they arrived at their holiday destination. Taking to TikTok, Matt was seen recounting the moment they realised their "hotel resort" ended up coming with a lot more than they'd expected. "I'm just baffled, I'm honestly baffled," Matt said at the start of the video as he looked out over the view of the nearby sea. "This is bizarre." "So we got here, we walk through the gates up there," Matt said pointing to the gates in question. "We walk down here because Google Maps just said it was at the end there. We walk all the way down here and I'm saying 'wow, isn't this nice and peaceful and quiet.'" He went onto say he started to think it was weird that they hadn't seen another person on the premises. As they get to the main building, he goes onto explain that he first thought it looked like someone's house before assuming it's the reception area where they could check in, or possibly one of the rooms. "Anyway, so then I'm like, let's go around looking this way and we'll have a look," he said before the video cut to them arriving at a different area. "And we get down here and this is what I see." Warning: Below video may contain offensive language He went onto show a big patio with a view of the sea. There were also some tables and chairs to sit down at, but again not a single other person could be seen. He then turned the camera once again towards the house, which has a balcony with a big glass door on the first floor. "There's like a little wedding reception area sort of thing," he said before turning the camera to a different door of the house with white curtains hanging from it. They then walked closer to the end of the patio, which showed that the "hotel" was located right on a cliff which looked down onto the bright blue water, with a beach right below them. "Looks amazing, right? So I'm thinking, 'why haven't I seen anyone yet?'" he questioned, before revealing that a woman suddenly walked up to them asking if they needed help. Matt went onto say that he'd told the woman that they were in the wrong place, but said they were looking to check in to their room, to which she replied she'd call the concierge. They then continued to explore the area, finding another area that looked like a "wedding dance floor" according to Matt, who said he believed there must be smaller villas for them to stay in. The concierge then met them, and they proceeded to do the check in at one of the sitting areas by the dancefloor, before he handed them the key. He then took them to the house, which also looked like it'd been decorated for a wedding. "And to be clear, we thought we were getting a hotel," he said. "Don't get me know, I'm not complaining, we're going to have a beautiful time here. But we didn't need an entire wedding venue. I'm rattled, actually. Like, genuinely rattled." In the caption of the video, Matt revealed that they'd paid $600AUD (£292) per night to stay at Villa Antiche Mura Relais in Sorrento, which describes themselves as "villas for weddings" on their website. Taking to the comments, people were shocked when they realised just how much they'd gotten for their money. But some were also baffled as to how they'd managed to make this "mistake." "Is this Sorrento?? How is this 600 dollars?????" one baffled person asked. Another suggested: "Invite some locals round for a party not like you don't have set-up haha." "Send the details I've found my wedding venue," a third viewer said. Another person shared: "I got married in Tuscany because we got the wedding plus a full week's accommodations for 30 people for less than we would have paid for a single-day sit-down dinner wedding for 150 people at a major US city."