According to the latest Scotland's People and Nature Survey 2023/24, 20% of all outdoor recreation visits were to the seaside or coast. 27% of visits were to a town or city, and the remaining 53% were to the countryside (Stewart & Eccleston, 2024). 

When considering the kind of 'blue space' (i.e. waterbodies and watercourses) people access, 71% of the Scottish public reported visiting the beach, the sea, and other coastlines. In comparison, as an example, 61% said they visited a river, 55% a loch/lake and 36% an esplanade/promenade (Scottish Government, 2023).

49% of people travelled 10 miles or less to visit the marine environment, with 32% travelling 11-50 miles and 17% travelling more than 50 miles. The majority of people used a car, van, or motorbike to access the coast (67%), with 17% accessing the coast on foot/walking, 11% by public transport, 2% by bike/mountain bike, and 1% by mobility aid (Scottish Government, 2022).

Barriers and/or enablers to access to the coast can be placed into four broad categories: motivation, capability, physical barriers, and social factors. Some of the specific barriers/enablers cited include: identity/connection to the coast, weather/daylight, travel barriers (personal vs public transport), time, and cultural norms (Scottish Government, 2023).