Clean bathing water

One factor that is universally important when picking a good beach is water quality. In order to ensure a safe environment for visitors (and to keep an eye on the health of the coastline) bathing waters along the inner Solway Coast are monitored during the summer season. In 2013 all the beaches monitored on the Scottish Solway Coast passed mandatory quality testing and, for the majority of the time, far exceeded the required standards.

While our beaches met the strict standards in 2013, water quality can fluctuate at particular beaches after heavy rainfall. This is as a result of a large percentage of land use being farming in the surrounding countryside. Diffuse pollution from farming is the main concern and in particular faecal matter being washed into the surrounding rivers which eventually ends up in the sea. This can increase the bacteria in water that are potentially harmful to humans. For this reason the bathing waters are regularly monitored and water quality signs give advice on the predicted water quality for each day.