Where to live by the sea

[onesmallstepforman]

I would like to relocate to live by the sea, somewhere in the UK. I live in a big city but was brought up by the sea in a foreign country. I crave swimming in clean beautiful water, walks on the beach, sea air and everything associated (except for tacky beach tourism crap).
My criteria is ambitious but i'd like to think not impossible considering the UK is a huge island.
I am looking for a real beach experience, but for me Brighton for example just won't fit the bill at all! Or anywhere you mainly get muddy beach or water uninviting for swimming.
As much as I love Norfolk and some of the beaches there are pretty decent (say Holkham bay) it's not much for swimming. Even in summer water is always dark, and the strong tide stairs mud and sand, and much of stinky seaweed. Great for walks and all, but no good swim. I also like a ragged scene and secluded beaches, just to add to my complicated brief.
Other places which I have considered and discounted so far:
Cornwall - the obvious choice for both amazing beaches and good swimming in some places, but from what I gather everyone warned me it's a nightmare in summer, too far, no jobs and I will be looked down at as a property privileged thief.
Pembrokeshire - similar reasons to Cornwall, maybe not for 'stealing'l locals homes but apparently not good place to live at all. Holiday yes, but don’t stay forever.
So where else?? Devon? Dorset? ..Or do I need to move to the meds for this kind of life?

Ah yes, Gullane and Yellowcraigs 😍

Have a look at some of the towns east of Edinburgh - Gullane, North Berwick etc. sandy beaches and crystal clear waters.

St Andrews or the East Neuk of Fife.

There's lots of lovely little low-key seaside towns in Scotland: North Berwick or Dunbar in East Lothian; Aberdour, Elie, Crail, St Monans in Fife; St Cyrus in Angus or Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire; Findhorn in Moray or Portmahomack in Black Isle.

Or if you want remote look at the West Coast for Mallaig, Tighnabruich, Uist.

I'd love to live by the sea.

Sidmouth or Exmouth. Close enough to Exeter for a job, both have beaches. Close to lovely coastal or moor walks.
Im biased as I live near Exeter but it really is a lovely part of the country.

I live in the north of Scotland and the beaches are incredible, it’s often sunny and while the water is cold, it looks like the Caribbean it’s so clear and there’s so much sea life. It’s also very cheap for property and we get relatively few tourists. Have a google of Cullen, Sandend, Hopeman, Lossiemouth, Nairn. All accessible and liveable!

Seriously? We went to Northumberland last October for the Scottish school holidays and it felt like 3/4s of Glasgow were on the beaches down there 😂

I am Cornish 👋 if you want clean seas then perhaps Cornwall isn’t for you unfortunately :( though some beaches are crystal clear and turquoise blue 💙

I am used to big city living but I am grateful to be back in Cornwall. Most of my friends here are from other countries or London - it’s a lovely mix.

I have a STEM job in Cornwall and I’m paid quite well to be fair! The only pain in the bum is needing to travel with work and it taking AGES to get anywhere but I’m impatient and I’m a home bird so I’ll bitch and moan no matter how long it takes!

☺️ I still get buzzzy city exciting vibe in Falmouth and it’s lovely.

For the first time ever I’m legit excited about Cornwalls future. I feel like we’re finally catching up with the rest of the UK with things like opportunities, ambition, inclusivity and diversity.

or this!

Norfolk!

You might be better off somewhere like Sintra Portugal - 40 mins to Lisbon, cosmopolitan, cheap. Water not polluted

There are. I live very close to numerous beautiful beaches most are virtually empty 52 weeks of the year. Pros your won’t struggle to find parking space! Amazing wildlife. Friendly people. Stunning scenery great for walking. Relatively cheap properties. Some absolutely stunning beaches with white sand and turquoise sea (when it’s not raining) particularly on the islands and places like the Ardnermerchan peninsula, lovely long days in the summer. Cons; it rains a LOT on the west coast, often a huge tidal range so sea is often stirred up and looks muddy. Water is bloody freezing you’ll need a good wetsuit, in many regions a shortage of well paid jobs (hence cheap properties), midges can make your life miserable, it can as be bloody windy, in the west it might be less of a cold wind because of the Gulf Stream, on the east coast its colder and windier and I mean a proper cold biting wind but probably less rain, Short dark days in winter and even more rain oh snd I should add we get a LOT of rain last year it started in August and carried on till end of April (for a few days). Let’s face it no one comes to Scotland in hope of warm days and barmy nights.
i was on one of my local beaches this evening watching seals it was me the dogs the seals a few buzzards, some oyster catchers a couple of gulls and a flock of sheep that’s busy for up here. Would I swim in the sea absolutely no way as I don’t own a 9mm wetsuit 🤣

Don’t you mean that it is the least densely populated in England. It has 63 people per square kilometre. Sutherland has 2.2 people per square kilometre.

There are some places along the Dorset or South Devon Coast that would probably fit the bill, but it would really depend on what you do for work and what your house budget is.
Living by the sea can be incredible (I can't be away from it personally), but it's also quite hard in lots of places. Winters can be miserable and long, especially in places where the community has been eroded by second homes. Poverty can be pretty stark in the local population because wages are often low and seasonal. Summers can be crowded and frustrating, especially these days with the whole world searching for the 'deserted' coves that they find on Instagram. Hint: these coves are only deserted before 6am when the influencers start to arrive with their SUPs, parking in everybody's driveways and editing their photos to make the sea look like the Aegean The British coastline is beautiful, but sometimes I don't recognise beaches that I've grown up on because they've been edited so much!

@Hannahthepink we saw some influencers this morning. Take off their clothes, run into the sea with a paddleboard and bikini. Had some photos of them on the paddleboard doing “yoga” for 2 secs, one photo of them staring out the horizon and another one of them in a cave looking quizzically peaceful.

Clothes back on and left within 5-10 mins.

It was hilarious!! 🤣

Fife or Galloway?

South Devon, the sea is clear turquoise and lots of little rocky coves with pale sand. Beaches around Bantham, Bigbury etc are gorgeous and if you’re local you know where to go to avoid tourists in the summer.
Modbury is a great nearby small town, or Dartmouth is bigger and lovely.

Sadly “I also like a ragged scene and secluded beaches” doesn’t fit with the Sefton coast (NW) but if you’re interested in an extensive sand dune system and beautiful beaches it might be worth a view. Perhaps you’ve heard of Gormley’s iron men at Crosby?

@femaleengineer101 ah yes, I know it well! To be completed with a shot out of the back of a campervan (parked in a place that you absolutely can't park, let alone overnight) to pretend that they've slept there, or my personal favourite: unpacking an elaborate picnic, pretending to eat it then leaving most of it next^ to^ the bin.

Don’t think so. Half of the south east go there now talking like it’s just been discovered 😂 prices have jumped massively for holiday let’s etc.

Thank you, I was just going to say that…

Also, since I am in pedant mode @GlasgowGal82, Portmahomack is not on the Black Isle, but in Easter Ross. It’s still got a nice beach, though.

Bridport area/ west bay. Watch Broadchurch on iPlayer. It's beautiful there and swimming lovely

@sofasofa42 that area is so beautiful. We spent a two week camping holiday on Eype beach during a heatwave and swimming in the sea there reminded us of being in Corfu.

Filey is beautiful and lots of other beaches nearby too.
also Saltburn-by-the-sea (both north-east coast)

Ilfracombe area in North Devon. Great houses for your money and so many lovely beaches and coves for swimming in.