Portobell Beach, Edinburgh, Scotland

It’s often forgotten that Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh is only a few miles from the sea, and boasts a handful of excellent urban beaches within the city boundary. Perhaps the best is at Portobello, where lines of groynes help protect a mile of sand overlooking the point at which the Firth of Forth mixes with the North Sea. At sunny weekends and during school holidays this a popular spot for locals, with a strip of amusement arcades, cafes and seafood restaurants doing brisk trade even on our February visit. Portobello itself is often championed as a quirky, bohemian suburb with a long history as a tourist destination. Well, if you say so – apart from an unusually high number of charity shops and organic / vegan eateries, there’s more of an air of faded glory than hipster highlights. But let that take nothing away from a beach many other cities would envy.