All but one of Fife and Tayside’s coastal bathing water areas have passed stringent hygiene tests.
But water quality at Kinghorn harbour has been branded poor for the third year running.
The beach in the Fife town is the only one in Courier Country still failing to meet stringent EU standards for bathing water, despite being surrounded by some of the best sands in Scotland.
Monifieth beach, rated poor last year, has been upgraded to good.
Ten beaches in The Courier’s circulation area achieved top marks with eight in Fife and two in Tayside rated excellent.
Aberdour Silver Sands was among the Fife beaches to receive excellent ratings along with Anstruther (Billow Ness), Crail (Roome Bay), Elie (Harbour) and Earlsferry, Elie (Ruby Bay), Kingsbarns and St Andrews (both East and West Sands).
In Tayside, Broughty Ferry and Montrose were rated excellent.
Good ratings went to Aberdour Harbour (Black Sands), Burntisland, Kinghorn (Pettycur), Kirkcaldy (Seafield), Leven, Arbroath (West Links), Carnoustie, Lunan Bay, Monifieth and Stonehaven.
In all, 87% of Scotland’s designated bathing waters met the water quality standards, which were tightened up in 2016.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said work was under way to ensure major improvements at the 11 Scottish beaches found to be poor following inspections at the end of last season.
These include a £700,000 project at Kinghorn to install a new combined sewer overflow, storm tank and pipes which should result in better water quality over the coming season.
The work started earlier this month and is expected to take until August.
SEPA chief executive Terry A’Hearn said the agency was committed to ensuring all Scotland’s bathing waters met water quality standards.
“Having achieved the highest rate of compliance since the new bathing water directive began we are already seeing many of our priority projects having a positive impact,” he said.
Environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham added: “Protecting and improving our bathing waters is crucial for our environment, for local economies which rely on beach tourism and for people who will be able to enjoy our seaside resorts and beaches over the summer months.
“Partnership working between SEPA, Scottish Water, local authorities, the farming sector and communities is vital to achieving better results and I am pleased to see that this work has helped to drive forward improvements this season.”
