Scottish beaches lose Blue Flag award after drop in water quality

Two Scottish beaches have lost their Blue Flag awards after a miserable and wet summer led to water quality dropping.

This year has seen the wettest April, the wettest June and the wettest April-to-June period on record, and the relentless rain has led to tonnes of sheep and cow dung, as well as other agricultural pollutants being washed into the sea.

Leven Beach, Fife, and Coldingham Bay, in the Scottish Borders, have failed water quality tests for bacteria as a result of the rain, leaving Scotland with just six top quality beaches. This has impacted tourism levels, according to local businesses, who feel the world-renowned flag attracts a number of visitors to the area.

Carole Noble, head of operations at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Recent heavy rain fall has caused this diverse pollution to wash into the water. Agricultural waste is polluting the waters (which) is making it difficult to manage the beach.

“All other beach standards will remain the same however, it is just the Blue Flag that has been taken away.”

Keep Scotland Beautiful said both beaches had been awarded the Blue Flag for the past three consecutive years. According to the rules, if more than two of the 20 samples taken for water monitoring fail to meet Intestinal Enterococci standards at any point between June 1st to September 15th, the Blue Flag must be withdrawn.

Derek Robertson, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “While we are all bitterly disappointed that the Blue Flag has had to be withdrawn, we are pleased that both beaches will continue to be actively managed and that Seaside Award standards will be maintained – allowing visitors to access up to date information about the water quality."

Several organisations will now work in collaboration to identify the water quality issues, with Keep Scotland Beautiful, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Borders and Fife Council all teaming up to resolve the problem.

Posted by Lauren Steadman