Wild Swimming
Portobello Beach
Portobello is Edinburgh's beach — a 1.5km sandy stretch on the Firth of Forth, 5km from the city centre, with a bustling promenade, the Victorian indoor baths at Portobello Swim Centre, ice cream shops, and a committed year-round swimming community — a wild swimmers' club has been swimming here through the year since 2010. The sea is cold, the views across to Fife are real, and the access is as easy as a bus from the city centre. SEPA classifies the water Sufficient for 2026, so check its daily prediction before you swim.
Quick facts
- Type
- Beach
- Region
- Edinburgh & Lothians
- Grid ref
- NT 312 738
- Entry
- Sandy shore
- Depth
- Shallow (wading depth)
- Midges
- Low
- Dogs
- On lead only
- Water quality
- SEPA 2026 classification: Sufficient
Key hazards
- cold water shock
- pollution from sewer overflows after heavy rain (SEPA: Sufficient)
- rip currents during onshore swell
Getting there
Frequent buses from Edinburgh city centre. Parking near the promenade is limited on sunny days. There is no lifeguard. SEPA monitors two bathing waters here, Portobello Central and Portobello West — check its daily prediction, especially after heavy rain.
Parking postcode: EH15 2AT
Safety
SEPA-designated bathing water, classified Sufficient for 2026 (both Portobello Central and Portobello West). SEPA advises against bathing during or 1–2 days after heavy rain, because of sewer overflows and surface-water run-off, and publishes daily predictions from 15 May to 15 September — check before you swim. No lifeguard. Jellyfish, including lion's mane, can appear in late summer.
Best for
- Edinburgh city resident swim
- informal New Year swim
- swim club community
- accessible family beach
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:16
- Sunset
- 16:36
- Civil dawn
- 06:37
- Civil dusk
- 17:15
NOAA Solar Calculator · 31 October 2026
Common questions
- Is Portobello Beach water quality good?
- It is the weakest of Edinburgh's nearby options on paper: both Portobello Central and Portobello West are classified Sufficient by SEPA for 2026. SEPA advises against bathing during or 1–2 days after heavy rain because of sewer overflows and surface-water run-off, and publishes a daily prediction from 15 May to 15 September — check it on the day.
- Is the Loony Dook at Portobello?
- No. The Loony Dook is at South Queensferry, about 11 miles west along the Forth, and has been since three locals started it in 1986 — it is free, community-run, and raises money for RNLI Queensferry. Portobello has its own informal New Year swims, as most of this coast does, but they are not the Loony Dook and no permission or entry is needed for either.
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