Eco-Living: Turning the tide

Life's a beach – unless you end up on one that has failed to meet EU bathing standards

PICTURE the scene: the sky overhead is azure blue and the crystal-clear water laps over your toes as you sit back and admire the miles of white sand, vowing never to go on holiday abroad again. You've been lucky enough to find yourself on one of Scotland's five Blue Flag beaches (www.blueflag.org) and, by golly, isn't it a wonderful way to spend a summer's day?

I wish I had experiences like this. When I go to the seaside, one of the following always happens: a seagull swoops down and steals my ice-cream; overweight Scottish men take their tops off and the dazzling expanse of flesh blinds me; I get sand in my picnic and spend the rest of the day feeling its crunch between my teeth; or unsavoury youths with a ghetto-blaster, pit bull terrier, crate of beer and limited vocabulary roll out their beach mats right next to mine.

But am I missing out? Scotland's 6,200 miles of coast are home to beaches which would put many tropical destinations to shame. Just last month the world's best surfers touched down in Thurso for the planet's coldest professional surfing contest. Kayakers, kite-surfers, hikers and artists seek out remote beaches all year round, while city-dwellers head straight to their local patch of sand as soon as the sun comes out.

Scotland originally had seven beaches on the much-coveted Blue Flag list (this worldwide scheme's exacting requirements ensure clean facilities, high environmental standards, clean bathing water and provision of information about the beach and its wildlife), but St Andrews East Sands and Broughty Ferry had their licences revoked when bathing water samples failed to meet the highest EU standards. (This doesn't mean the beaches are to be avoided, just that they've lost their A-list status.)

But elsewhere in Scotland's waters, you could be unlucky enough to find toxic waste, radioactive particles, sewage and lots of litter clogging up the coastline. Last year seven beaches failed to meet EU bathing standards. Eyemouth, Sandyhills and Prestwick were a few of the sites where you wouldn't want to take up snorkelling. Let's just say that some of the failing beaches had high levels of 'faecal indicator organisms'.

Blame has been laid at the door of excessive rain, causing drainage systems to overflow and run off from farmland. If global warming really is going to cause wetter weather in the future, we can only hope our sewer systems are brought up to scratch.

Along with the unthinkable organisms floating around, Keep Scotland Beautiful says that the most commonly found litter on beaches are items made from plastic. It goes without saying that as beach visitors, we should be taking our rubbish home with us and, should you feel motivated, clearing up the mess left by others too. You don't want crisp bags ending up inside a basking shark, do you?

Last month, the first ever report into the state of Scotland's seas was published, aimed at laying the groundwork for the new Scottish Marine Bill. The main findings showed that 'Scotland's seas are generally clean and safe, with a trend towards reduction of most pollutants over the past 20 years' – which sounds positive, if somewhat vague. Keep your eyes peeled for the public consultation on the bill later in the year (www.savescottishseas.org is campaigning for high standards) and also look out for the 2008 beach awards – due to be announced next month.

St Andrews West Sands, Aberdour Silver Sands, Burntisland, Elie Harbour and Montrose beaches all boast Blue Flag status.

BE GREENER

Support the Marine Conservation Society's Campaign for Clean Seas by buying the Good Beach Guide – a comprehensive and independent guide to Britain's coastal bathing waters. Available from www.goodbeachguide.co.uk

Join forces with Surfers Against Sewage in their campaign for clean, safe recreational water (free from sewage effluents, toxic chemicals, nuclear waste and marine litter). Visit www.sas.org.uk to find out more, including where to buy an eco-friendly surfboard.

The bride wore green

THE path to true love never runs smooth – especially if you're planning a wedding and have an eco conscience. So how do you protect the planet without compromising on your big day? The directory at www.green union.co.uk is a good place to start, as is the forum at www.treehugger.com, offering green options for everything from organic champagne to environmentally friendly aphrodisiacs for the wedding night.

For first-hand advice, turn to the blogs of the brides themselves. One, at marriedtogreen.blogspot.com, shares her top tip: "Stick to a personal theme. The more over-the-top your wedding is, the more resources you'll consume and the larger your wedding's footprint will be."

A novel take on wedding favours is offered by www.diybride.com: "We are giving our guests evergreen tree 'sprigs' that they can take home and plant to be always reminded of our wedding day."

Predictably, the dress is an area of great debate. www.hippyshopper.com suggests: "Forget about remortgaging to afford that designer wedding dress. How about buying a second-hand dress (heck, it's most likely only been worn once) and have it updated – find your nearest Oxfam bridal outlet at www.oxfam.org.uk."

But, if only a new dress will do, find reviews on green designers at ethicalweddings.com/blog – one consistently coming up trumps is www.consciouselegance.co.uk.

HEALTHY PLANET

FEW pleasures come without an environmental footprint these days, but thankfully, listening to music on your iPod is less polluting than most. Prolong the life of your trusty MP3 player by protecting it in one of these slick rubber cases. Handmade from recycled tyres, it will help keep your tunes on track and give your iPod a new lease of life. (£23.95, www.nigelsecostore.com)