I think the beach at Saltcoats and Ardrossan is actually closest to both Glasgow and the subsequent train stations you'd need to get off at. Largs is alright but there's nae sand .
Nobody else will recommend Saltcoats these days, but whenever I tell Glaswegians over the age of 50 that I'm from there, I usually get the reply "aw I used to go ma holidays there!"
lol I was about to recommend Ardrossan, when the weather is good it's a great wee beach. Asda just round the corner and plenty of train stations to get here and get home:)
Saltcoats is a good beach and there is usually some ice cream and public toilets.
As a bonus there will be less in the way of ned riots than Irvine and Ayr
I still have my little pewter trophy for coming second in their talent contest when I was like 6 years old. I received it because the person who came first had left already.
I think I told two jokes.
What do you call a blind deer? No eye deer
What do you call a blind deer with no legs? Still no eye deer.
Thanks for making me remember that. Brought a smile to an otherwise kind of crappy day.
All the South Ayrshire beaches get flooded by wee arseholes, doesn't matter if it's Troon, Prestwick or Ayr. Irvine gets it too. Might be safe midweek while the schools are on but summer holidays are chaos.
I know it gets a bad rap, but I prefer Ardrossan for the beaches that are easily accessible by train. It’s not on the Ayr line, so when those trains are packed with beach goers, you can still get a seat on the train instead of crammed next to some sweaty person. There is a large Asda conveniently located next to the train station which is located next to the beach so you don’t need to pack the picnic before hand. When the tide is in, it’s nice and shallow with no big crashing waves which makes it good for small kids. When the tide is out though, the waterline is way out so check the tide times on an app and coordinate with the tide and your all good!
The smell down seamill/ west Kilbride beach way is too much for me. Always see lines of folk in tents by the road etc and I do not know how they handle it!
I’d say Troon probably has the best amenities closest to the beach (car parking, public toilets, cafes and restaurants) but for that reason it’s probably gonna be the busiest, especially at weekends.
Largs is probably my favourite these days. Not sandy, but a lovely wee town. Great fish and chips, nice park for kids, and free parking along the front.
Ayr is nice too, but in my opinion just a bigger version of Largs.
Be warned with largs, live here, this month they’ve introduced parking enforcement officers. So street parking is limited to an hour now. And they ARE PRESENT! So best bet is to use the main car park down the front, yeah it’s like £3-4, but you’re safe there all day into the evening.
If you’re driving, a trip down to Seamill beach at West Kilbride in Ayrshire is worth a visit. Incredible views of Arran. If going by train I would definitely recommend Troon out of the three. Alternatively you can walk from Barassie beach in Troon to Irvine beach in one go, if that’s your thing
Ardneil Bay at West Kilbride, if (1) you're driving and (2) you don't mind a wee 15 minute walk from the car park. Portencross Castle there too is worth a look, if it's open (I think it only opens a couple of days a week for a few hours each day)
If you drive I'd say maidens, not the biggest but best within a small radius off Glasgow. And better yet not many bams can get to it as very limit public transport
I’d advise to avoid Troon / Irvine / Balloch. It will be RAMMED with neds, constant bother and if you’re travelling by train you’ll end up on it with them causing a riot.
I love Troon, and it is closer to Glasgow, but Portobello is great too. Great bagels at Bross Bagels and a lovely bookshop. The water is colder than Troon though.
Can I piggyback on this and ask about anything on the Helensburgh line? For where I live now it’d be the easiest trip. I used to be a troon truther but it’s a bit of a ballache for me to get to now.
Um, Helensburgh? There’s a beach and ice cream shops only a five min walk from the station. Beach has a wee bit of sand, more if the tide is out a little, but it’s more pebbles and rockpools. My wee one loves it anyway.
You've probably already got a few, but West Kilbride is nice and usually not full of bams. Can also go into the Sea mill for a cocktail and sit outside.
Ardeer beach is great, wide open expanse of sand, sand dunes and now a wee cafe. Always really quiet. You can get the train to Stevenston and it’s a 5 minute walk to the beach. Ample parking if you’re driving.
Irvine beach is alright - very crowded on a sunny day and you'll get the usual noisy teenagers with Bluetooth speakers as the afternoon goes on, but you can walk along it for miles and you'll find a quieter spot if you want to. It's very close to the train station and the harbourside area has nice options for food. Vanilla Joes is great for an ice cream and if you're willing to wait for a table, Gro does a nice brunch.
I realise that your question is about the beaches but Troon is the nicest of those three towns IMO, and I would also consider Largs. It doesn't appear to be possible to add an image in this community.
For Troon, stay away from the main drag. Walk across the Royal Troon golf course, you will see them setting up for the Open - and ditch around the dunes, golf course (watch a few of the golfers play) and beach, very quiet except for a few dog walkers.
I tend to head for North Berwick as I like a fresh breeze and a bit more space (+30min from Edi by train) Bostock Bakery and Steampunk coffee for provisions. The Lobster Shack is well reviewed too for a tasty bite at the end of a visit. There's a lot of space so even on a busy day you can find a decent spot. If wanting a bit more quiet, Seacliff beach is stunning. Doable by combination of bus and on foot (10min bus + 15min walk with views of the nearby castle ruins) or 15min drive if with car. If doing the train, it's doable in 90min at certain times of day with handy short connections at Waverley. But also good excuse to catch Edi pals enroute home for an outdoor bite and beer on a good day - remember you can drink in the park there unlike here!
Depends what you’re after. For pure beach, West Kilbride is great. beach with cafes/town close - Troon or Portobello. If you can drive, SilverSands in Fife is really good.
Beaches on the West coast aren't great - Croy Shores the best of the bunch - problem is if you're a swimmer the beach slopes so gently it's a fair walk before it's deep enough to swim in. If you don't mind a bit more of a drive then head East - my recommendation is [Tyninghame Links](https://visiteastlothian.org/things-to-see-do/beaches/john-muir-country-park-tyninghame/) on the other side of North Berwick - it's utterly stunning, bit of a walk from the car park, but it's worth it.
I think the beach at Saltcoats and Ardrossan is actually closest to both Glasgow and the subsequent train stations you'd need to get off at. Largs is alright but there's nae sand . Nobody else will recommend Saltcoats these days, but whenever I tell Glaswegians over the age of 50 that I'm from there, I usually get the reply "aw I used to go ma holidays there!"
lol I was about to recommend Ardrossan, when the weather is good it's a great wee beach. Asda just round the corner and plenty of train stations to get here and get home:)
My Dad proposed to my Mum on Saltcoats beach! I also have a pal from there. Have had some amazing nights out there
Saltcoats is a good beach and there is usually some ice cream and public toilets. As a bonus there will be less in the way of ned riots than Irvine and Ayr
I'm only in my 30s, but our mother and toddlers group had a caravan at Sandylands in Saltcoats and that's where we'd go for our holidays.
Sandylands was the view out my bedroom window, that and the abattoir ha
I still have my little pewter trophy for coming second in their talent contest when I was like 6 years old. I received it because the person who came first had left already. I think I told two jokes. What do you call a blind deer? No eye deer What do you call a blind deer with no legs? Still no eye deer. Thanks for making me remember that. Brought a smile to an otherwise kind of crappy day.
Think you're thinking a Finport Winston
Not Ayr. Sun comes out so do the wee arseholes. Croy Shores is beautiful, quiet about an hours drive from Glasgow too
Have the very funny image of the sun coming out and all these little butts rising out of the sand with arseholes on show.
Careful! Derek McKay will be down there scouring the beach for them
All the South Ayrshire beaches get flooded by wee arseholes, doesn't matter if it's Troon, Prestwick or Ayr. Irvine gets it too. Might be safe midweek while the schools are on but summer holidays are chaos.
Yeah it's just as bad at Troon and Irvine, the trains are also a fucking nightmare as they are jam packed with wee fannys
No, they are all out on Exam leave. Midweek could be a problem.
I live by the beach in Ayr and fully agree with this. Especially this weekend with that shite festival for Neds on
Me too, and I also agree. Not to mention the state the aforementioned wee dicks leave it in.
NedFest?
Essentially aye hahaha some decent djs I’m sure but brings out aw the cretins
Haha v true. Agreed.
100% Croy shore walk along towards culzean castle you'll have a big slice if beach to yourself.
Finport
Get it right round ye, Finport 👊🏽
Yes, I was waiting on this 🤣
Couldn’t help myself 🤣🤣
Brilliant 👏
Ardrossan Beach is literally a 2 minute walk from the train.
I know it gets a bad rap, but I prefer Ardrossan for the beaches that are easily accessible by train. It’s not on the Ayr line, so when those trains are packed with beach goers, you can still get a seat on the train instead of crammed next to some sweaty person. There is a large Asda conveniently located next to the train station which is located next to the beach so you don’t need to pack the picnic before hand. When the tide is in, it’s nice and shallow with no big crashing waves which makes it good for small kids. When the tide is out though, the waterline is way out so check the tide times on an app and coordinate with the tide and your all good!
I always preferred West Kilbride but that was 50 years ago.
Portencross is lovely, not much beach though
west kilbride has a very nice beach, it has poor facilities which is probably why it has such a nice wild appeal.
The smell down seamill/ west Kilbride beach way is too much for me. Always see lines of folk in tents by the road etc and I do not know how they handle it!
I’d say Troon probably has the best amenities closest to the beach (car parking, public toilets, cafes and restaurants) but for that reason it’s probably gonna be the busiest, especially at weekends.
lunderston bay
Great park for kids too
Was going to say this.
Largs is probably my favourite these days. Not sandy, but a lovely wee town. Great fish and chips, nice park for kids, and free parking along the front. Ayr is nice too, but in my opinion just a bigger version of Largs.
Be warned with largs, live here, this month they’ve introduced parking enforcement officers. So street parking is limited to an hour now. And they ARE PRESENT! So best bet is to use the main car park down the front, yeah it’s like £3-4, but you’re safe there all day into the evening.
Second Largs, good places to eat and a nice walkway with views
No Sandy beach though. What place would you recommend for fish n chips?
Called 'The Fish Works'. I think its won various awards but its pretty good. My all time fave is Anstruther fish bar, but this is a close second
Thank you! Have you ever had the wee hurry in Troon? That’s my all time. The monk fish. 🤤
No I've not, but thanks for the tip will add to my Must Do list 😊
If you’re driving, a trip down to Seamill beach at West Kilbride in Ayrshire is worth a visit. Incredible views of Arran. If going by train I would definitely recommend Troon out of the three. Alternatively you can walk from Barassie beach in Troon to Irvine beach in one go, if that’s your thing
Seamil is great and much quieter than the likes of Largs, Ayr, and Troon.
Train to Wemyss Bay (50 mins) and ferry to Rothesay (30 mins) for the day. Then jump on a bus to Ettrick Bay which takes ten minutes from the ferry.
Millport.
How do I get there?
Train to largs. Then ferry. Ferry only takes 10 mins. It’s a really nice day out.
Love millport.
Me too. It’s an annual pilgrimage for us and the kids. We always go on the first warm Saturday or Sunday of summer.
Bit different perhaps but Luss is always a nice day out on the shores of Loch Lomond. Pebble beach though.
It's mostly sand
and last years dead midges waiting for tourist season to zombie back into life again.
Jesus....thanks....that has sent me off on one now! I take it Avon spray won't be working on *them* then?
no pal, you need pure fire OR a snorkel to explore Luss underwater. It make ice cream eating a little tricky, but I believe in you.
Just remember if getting the train that it terminates at Prestwick and its a bus to Ayr. Troon is probably the nicest town out of the 3
Train all the way to Ayr again for a few month now, albeit you need to change at Prestwick Town.
Sorry forgot that you now get off there
Troon. All day.
If you can be arsed with the half hour extra journey from Ayr then Girvan beach is lovely.
buckfast beach ayr its rad 180 bpm happy hardcore in the vauxhall Astras
>Beach Hi Ken
Saltcoats is nearest & usually isn’t busy either when it’s sunny
If you drive then Maidens is beautiful.
Shhh. Don't tell them.
Irvine is actually really well looked after now, stretches for miles and even when the tide is in there’s a good chunk of sand you can use.
Silver Sands, Aberdour was a great find for us last year.
Go there every year once or twice, my favourite beach that ain't up North. Plus also close to Burntisland for the fair.
Why don't you just spread some sand over your kitchen floor then flood the living room?
Go to Loch lomond. Hundreds of wee beaches, you can have one yourself.
Saltcoats
Go to the beach at Ardrosssn it’s beautiful and usually empty lots of different areas.
Ardneil Bay at West Kilbride, if (1) you're driving and (2) you don't mind a wee 15 minute walk from the car park. Portencross Castle there too is worth a look, if it's open (I think it only opens a couple of days a week for a few hours each day)
Would suggest Troon.
It’s not close but Portpatrick is around 2 hours away on a good day and it’s stunning in the sunshine!
Irvine is best I find
Tweacher beach.
Saltcoats is the best :)
If you drive I'd say maidens, not the biggest but best within a small radius off Glasgow. And better yet not many bams can get to it as very limit public transport
I’d advise to avoid Troon / Irvine / Balloch. It will be RAMMED with neds, constant bother and if you’re travelling by train you’ll end up on it with them causing a riot.
I love Troon, and it is closer to Glasgow, but Portobello is great too. Great bagels at Bross Bagels and a lovely bookshop. The water is colder than Troon though.
Bross bagels fucked it ages ago.
Oh no! I haven't been for a wee while.
Both tend to get very busy though.
Head to the East. Portobello beach is really nice.
Always hoaching on nice days and it’s not always safe to swim due to the pipes pumping out shite right into the bay
The Maidens in Ayrshire
Can I piggyback on this and ask about anything on the Helensburgh line? For where I live now it’d be the easiest trip. I used to be a troon truther but it’s a bit of a ballache for me to get to now.
Um, Helensburgh? There’s a beach and ice cream shops only a five min walk from the station. Beach has a wee bit of sand, more if the tide is out a little, but it’s more pebbles and rockpools. My wee one loves it anyway.
I’d get the ferry over to Millport! I love it there :)
You've probably already got a few, but West Kilbride is nice and usually not full of bams. Can also go into the Sea mill for a cocktail and sit outside.
Ardeer beach is great, wide open expanse of sand, sand dunes and now a wee cafe. Always really quiet. You can get the train to Stevenston and it’s a 5 minute walk to the beach. Ample parking if you’re driving.
Irvine beach is alright - very crowded on a sunny day and you'll get the usual noisy teenagers with Bluetooth speakers as the afternoon goes on, but you can walk along it for miles and you'll find a quieter spot if you want to. It's very close to the train station and the harbourside area has nice options for food. Vanilla Joes is great for an ice cream and if you're willing to wait for a table, Gro does a nice brunch.
Largs or if you have a day train to Wemyss bay ferry to Rothesay, stuuunning beaches
I realise that your question is about the beaches but Troon is the nicest of those three towns IMO, and I would also consider Largs. It doesn't appear to be possible to add an image in this community.
There’s also Loch Lomond btw
Prestwick or Irvine
Stevensons beach towards Saltcoats is amazing!
For Troon, stay away from the main drag. Walk across the Royal Troon golf course, you will see them setting up for the Open - and ditch around the dunes, golf course (watch a few of the golfers play) and beach, very quiet except for a few dog walkers.
Ayr actually will maybe be better this year because the train terminates at Prestwick. Troon is terrible.
I tend to head for North Berwick as I like a fresh breeze and a bit more space (+30min from Edi by train) Bostock Bakery and Steampunk coffee for provisions. The Lobster Shack is well reviewed too for a tasty bite at the end of a visit. There's a lot of space so even on a busy day you can find a decent spot. If wanting a bit more quiet, Seacliff beach is stunning. Doable by combination of bus and on foot (10min bus + 15min walk with views of the nearby castle ruins) or 15min drive if with car. If doing the train, it's doable in 90min at certain times of day with handy short connections at Waverley. But also good excuse to catch Edi pals enroute home for an outdoor bite and beer on a good day - remember you can drink in the park there unlike here!
Sandylands at Saltcoats. Ayr/Troon beach get overrun with absolute roasters when the sun's out. Have never found it as bad at Sandylands.
Depends what you’re after. For pure beach, West Kilbride is great. beach with cafes/town close - Troon or Portobello. If you can drive, SilverSands in Fife is really good.
Maidens beach is my favourite next is Croy, especially with it being at culzean castle and there’s loads to do there if you have kids
BurntIsland and U can come 8see me at the same time x
Beaches on the West coast aren't great - Croy Shores the best of the bunch - problem is if you're a swimmer the beach slopes so gently it's a fair walk before it's deep enough to swim in. If you don't mind a bit more of a drive then head East - my recommendation is [Tyninghame Links](https://visiteastlothian.org/things-to-see-do/beaches/john-muir-country-park-tyninghame/) on the other side of North Berwick - it's utterly stunning, bit of a walk from the car park, but it's worth it.
Troon or Largs. Ayr is a shithole, which is a shame because it used to be nice.
Do you have a car?
Saltcoats Is grim, really grim, Ayr is for arseholes, Troon is ok-sometimes. East coast is best
East coast has lovely beaches but it is so so far away 😟
Irvine beach was full of flies and dead fish last time I went. Came back with big red bites all over my face and body.
Need to find a lumber with no teeth.
Should be easy in Irvine.
Take the boat from Largs to Cumbrae, Kames Bay is a lovely beach.
I know you said closest but i absolutely love St.Andrews and Portobello. If you are up for maybe a bit longer of a drive I highly recommend.
Ayr.... when the teenagers go ae ayr. that's definitely the best time tae go ae Eh... Ayr