Scottish coastal spot with picturesque beaches named one of the best seaside towns in the UK
TOP SPOT Scottish coastal spot with picturesque beaches named one of the best seaside towns in the UK
A SCOTTISH coastal spot with picturesque beaches has been named in a list of the UK's best seaside towns.
Writers at National Geographic Traveller compiled a guide to seven "gems" worth visiting this summer.
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North Berwick was praised for its spectacular beaches and thriving food scene
Credit: Alamy
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Fringe by the Sea boasts 10 days of comedy, live music and culinary masterclasses
Credit: Alamy
The travel magazine hailed the destinations for bouncing back amid tough economic conditions.
As the only Scottish addition to the list, North Berwick in East Lothian was praised for its Fringe by the Sea festival and thriving food scene.
Situated just 20 miles from Edinburgh, the town is great for yachting, surfing, sea kayaking, paddleboarding or open-water swimming, not to mention golf.
National Geographic wrote: "Granted, there are coastal resorts that have suffered greater travails than this affluent East Lothian town.
"But it still had to endure a choppy few decades at the close of the 20th century as its 'Biarritz of the North' epithet slipped, hotels closed and local tensions around the courting of tourists grew.
"A healthy truce has since descended and visitors can enjoy a town that's lauded for everything from its long sandy beach to its nation-leading living standards."
Fringe by the Sea boasts 10 days of comedy, live music and culinary masterclasses.
Meanwhile, the town's Lobster Shack serves up tasty langoustine, sweet crab, meaty mussels and line-caught mackerel.
National Geographic Traveller added: "Berwick's foodie reputation is well deserved. Leading the charge are harbour-front Lobster Shack, serving the likes of lobster and crab rolls and smoked haddock and salmon fishcakes, and Drift, a cliff-edge medley of upcycled shipping containers with rousing Firth of Forth views and an indecently good brunch."
The other locations on the list are Margate, Penzance, Barmouth, Scarborough, Weymouth, and Whitley Bay.
UK beach named one of the top 100 in the world
Meanwhile, North Berwick was also named the best place to live in Scotland.
It was hailed by The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list thanks to its combination of beaches, quality schools and independent businesses.
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: "It is easy to feel overwhelmed by everything going on in the world, but there really is so much to celebrate closer to home, from small gestures that lift the everyday from verges blooming with daffodils to volunteer-run dementia cafés, to new initiatives from repair cafés to new railway stations."
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