BATHING waters at five East Lothian beaches have received top marks as part of a national inspection.

Eighty-five beaches across Scotland were tested for their water quality by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Thirty-two of those beaches received the highest designation of ‘excellent’, with five of those found in East Lothian.

Gullane, North Berwick (West), Seacliff, Thorntonloch and Whitesands were all listed as excellent while Broad Sands, Dunbar (Belhaven), Dunbar (East), Yellowcraig and Longniddry were ‘good’.

Bathing waters at beaches at North Berwick (Milsey Bay) and Seton Sands were described as ‘sufficient’.

Terry A’Hearn, chief executive of SEPA, said: “Improving Scotland’s water environment is a key priority for SEPA, and that includes the bathing waters so many of us enjoy.

“Across Scotland, we work to protect watercourses through licensing, inspection and regulation of discharges, and pollution incident response.

“In addition, we provide advice and guidance to the public, industry, developers, and local authorities.”