The Best Sea Fishing in Scotland (Updated for 2024)

The following list is featured in this article. Click to scroll to the relevant area.

The Best Sea Fishing in Scotland:

• Aberdeenshire
• Solway
• Edinburgh
• The Firth of Forth
• Dundee
• Stranraer
• Firth of Clyde

Where can I sea fish in Scotland?

The chipp…. Actually, no let’s tell you.

To give you a flavour of what it’s like, here’s somebody enjoying the best sea fishing in scotland...

The Best Sea Fishing in Scotland - Where to go...

Aberdeenshire

Head onto the east coast, Cruden Bay, and Peterhead offer the opportunity to catch quite a few famous British species. If big sea bass is what you are after they grow fairly big up north and craggy coastlines make for the ideal spot to enjoy some of the best sea fishing in Scotland

If you find yourself anywhere near Stonehaven, be sure to take a rod and some bait. With a two-hook flapper you may encounter numerous dabs and maybe even a plaice if you are lucky.

Solway

The Solway Firth is well known for its run of salmon and sea trout. The west coast has an abundance of Atlantic Cod which drift in when the colder weather arrives. The weather can get a bit sporty over that way so take some waterproofs and be careful on the rocks.

Edinburgh

Thornton Loch is not actually a loch; it is in fact a wide expanse of sandy beach if you take a decent beach caster and a 5oz lead you will put yourself in with a chance of hooking either Bass of Flounder.

The Firth of Forth

We aren’t staying in Edinburgh. In fact, you’ll probably want to head to the north side where you will find Buckhaven breakwater. Breakwaters are an easy way to get your rig down into deep water without having to cast a ridiculously long way. You can sit in relative comfort, and if you put on some really big baits you should be able to encounter Cod here at the right time of year.

Dundee

The flat white sands of Lunan bay hold some fantastic marks and offer some of the best sea fishing in Scotland. If you head a little further up the coast then you will find rocky shelves and outcrops. Squid, mackerel fillets or just a big old juicy lug can bring results with the bass. Smaller baits may net you codling or Pollock too.

Whilst you are in the area of Dundee it would be rude not to give the Tay estuary a try. Brackish water and mudflats are a firm favourite with big flatfish, Flounder being the order of the day. 

Arbroath cliffs is only slightly further north. The sea can get quite choppy here and the rocks are steep in places so let someone know where you are going and don't forget your sea fishing waterproofs!

Stranraer

If you are heading West then pay a visit to Stranraer. Whether it is packs of hungry dogfish or incessant whiting you should be able to catch here without too much difficulty. Loch Ryan is a really famous and well-known for offering some of the best sea fishing in Scotland.

Firth of Clyde

The Firth of Clyde is packed with different species all year round. Head over to Cloch point in the summer, with a few strings of feathers and a light rod and you’ve got more than a fair chance of taking home a bucketful of Mackerel and some of the best sea fishing in Scotland. Pollock feature strongly here and in the surrounding areas also. A sand eel or worm bait fishing alongside pier legs or jetties will produce fish... If you can work out how to cook them to make them taste good, let us know!

Conclusion

With so many fish species present across multiple areas, fishing in the beautiful country of Scotland is a real pleasure and one that we hope you and many fishermen get to experience. 

If you are looking at starting up sea fishing and am unsure on what tackle to buy, you can check out some of our articles that provide advice on the top sea fishing rods on the market, choosing the best sea fishing reel, picking a tripod that wont let you down, and the best readymade sea fishing rigs.

Tight Lines!

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