Designated bathing waters
Designated bathing waters are places where lots of people regularly go into the water to swim or paddle during the summer.
These sites are identified by the Scottish Government and are monitored to help protect public health. Water quality is tested to make sure it is safe for bathing.
Bathing waters in Highland
There are 12 designated bathing waters in the Highland area. Each area listed below is an outlined area within the body of water. Further details are provided by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for each area:
- Achmelvich
- Ballachulish Peninsula
- Dores
- Dornoch
- Dunnet
- Gairloch Beach
- Loch Morlich
- Nairn (Central)
- Nairn (East)
- Rosemarkie
- Sand Beach
- Thurso
Water quality and monitoring
SEPA checks water quality during the bathing season, which runs from 1 June to 15 September.
Each site is given a rating:
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
These ratings help you decide where and when to bathe.
For the latest results, visit the SEPA website for Bathing Waters.
Our role
We work with SEPA and other organisations to:
- help look after bathing waters and nearby areas
- respond to environmental health concerns
- support improvements to water quality
Other things to be aware of
Sometimes water can be affected by blue-green algae, especially in lochs and inland waters. This can be harmful to people and animals.