Gretna and Annan – Lots of good angling points around the inner Solway Firth with marks giving bass to spinners and bait, while there is also the possibility of catching a sea trout when using a spinner, but a licence is needed to target and keep this species. Flounder are also common around this area and will travel far along the Solway Firth and into the mouth of the River Eden. Mullet also make an appearance with Annan Harbour offering a great chance to catch this species during calm weather and still water – use small hooks and experiment with bread, earthworm and fish baits. View this area on Google Maps here.
Mersehead Sands – This is a great venue for flatfish with flounder around for most of the year with numbers only dipping in late winter/spring as they move offshore for spawning. All species of flatfish here will go for all the usual baits with ragworm, lugworm and peeler crab all producing fish. Bass are also a possibility with peeler crab being the best bet for bait, although they will also take other baits such as ragworm, sandeel, bluey and mackerel. Fish and sandeel baits can also catch rays, most thornbacks. View this area on Google Maps here.
Balcary Bay – This mark had a reputation for producing multiple double-figure fish in the past, and although not seen as quite as productive these days it is still well worth a visit. Cod and whiting are caught in winter and dogfish, flounder and dab with bigger species such as conger, thornback ray and bull huss also a possibility in the summer. Balcary Flat Rock is a famous mark but requires a long hike up a hill and along paths so bear this in mind before setting out. Ross Bay offers similar fishing from a more sheltered venue. View this area on Google Maps here.
Kirkcudbright – Kirkcudbright harbour is a good venue that offers pollock, coalfish and mackerel in the summer to spinners, daylights and lures with and flounder and dogfish going to baits fished on the bottom. Pollock will also take baits presented on the seabed, with sandeel and mackerel strip good choices. Brighouse Bay is a popular area for sea angling and offers pollock to lures as well as various flatfish species to worm and crab baits and the chance of a bass, with peeler crab being a top bait. View this area on Google Maps here.
Wigtown – Marks around this area produce sought after fish with smooth-hound and big bass making appearances in the right conditions – calmer seas for the smooth-hound and a rougher running sea for the bass. Fresh peeler crab baits are ideal for either species. Other fish such as dogfish and silver eel will also show. Silver eel will take peeler crab and mackerel baits, while dogfish will feed on pretty much any bait offered by anglers. Nearby Fleet Bay (Big Water of Fleet) can produce a range of of flatfish species, with flounder, plaice and turbot all possibilities with worm, shellfish and peeler crab baits. This mark and also produces bass. View this area on Google Maps here.
Burrow Head – Burrow Head is on the very tip of the Machars Peninsula. Fishing can be very good. Pollock are out in greatest numbers in the summer and will go for spinners, as will mackerel when they arrive in the summer, and dogfish, bull huss and bass will all take baits. The rocky sections also hold conger with a 100lb+ monofilament or a wire trace and 6/0 – 8/0 hooks mounted with mackerel heads or flappers being in with a chance of hooking a big one. View this area on Google Maps here.
Rhins of Galloway – The Rhins of Galloway (the southern tip of which is known as the Mull of Galloway) is a hammerhead peninsula that makes up the southernmost point of Scotland. There are many marks which produce great fishing here, and a huge number of species which can be caught. Beaches produce bass, dogfish, flounder and other flatfish, as well as the chance of a ray. The rock marks around this area hold wrasse, coalfish and big pollock in the summer months. Float fishing mackerel strip, sandeel or ragworm baits is an effective tactic, as is freelining a bait straight down from a rock ledge, with spinners and soft jelly lures also being productive. Mackerel are also around in the summer. Conger also lurk in the rock marks with wire traces and big hooks needed as a double figure specimen is a real possibility. Boat anglers often target tope around this area, and it is possible to catch one from the shore. View this area on Google Maps here.
Stranraer – Loch Ryan is located between the top of the Rhins Peninsula and the Scottish mainland. It is known as a ray hotspot and anglers targeting this species often choose this venue, with the summer months the time to go for this species. The Scottish record shore caught tope of 54lb also came from this mark. Mackerel, pollock and wrasse will all also show here as well. The usual dogfish will take most baits around here, with flounder, plaice, silver eels and school bass all possibilities when fishing here. View this area on Google Maps here.
Ayr and Troon – Ayr Harbour provides lots of species with mackerel going for feathers and spinners and pollock and coalfish to spinners, lures and float fished baits. Mullet can also show in calm weather with bread flake the best bait to catch them, try groundbaiting with mackerel guts and bread mix to attract them to the area. The pier is also a good mark and baits such as ragworm, lugworm, mackerel and peeler crab can catch flounder, plaice, dogfish with both silver and strap conger eels possible catches as well. Rock marks around Troon can produce pollock with the biggest specimens coming within range of the shore angler in warmer weather as well as wrasse and mackerel, while a big fish bait possibly tempting a conger eel. View this area on Google Maps here.
Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Largs and Millport – Saltcoats Harbour will give dogfish, wrasse, various flatfish and silver eels, as well as coalfish and pollock which will also take spinners and lures. Cod will also show in winter. Ardrossan will also produce similar species, with the chance of a big pollock, while rocky marks around this area can also contain conger eels to the usual big hooks and fish baits. In Largs Shingle Bank/Point is a good general fishing venue with the cleanest ground found when casting into the harbour, rotten bottoms best used when casting elsewhere due to the snaggy ground. Lots of dogfish are usually around but various flatfish can also be caught and cod and whiting can make an appearance in the winter. Marks around the Marina and the old monument known locally as The Pencil can also produce fish from the shore. View this area on Google Maps here.
Millport, Isle of Cumbrae – Millport is a town on the Isle of Cumbrae, meaning it is necessary to take a ferry to get there. Rock marks around Millport and the harbour area offer a range of species, as do the areas around Crocodile Rock. This includes wrasse to float fished baits, and large pollock and coalfish to spinners and jelly lures. Other species such as flatfish species, bass, and dogfish can also be caught, as can mackerel in the summer months. Large conger eels are also present in this area and can be caught on mackerel or squid baits from rocky areas. View this area on Google Maps here.
Cambeltown – Marks around Cambeltown and the rest of the Kintyre peninsula hold a variety of species such as big pollock which will go for spinners and lures as well as bottom fished baits, and the summer will see mackerel caught to spinners and lures. Bass and flatfish such as flounder, plaice and maybe even turbot will all go for worm, sandeel and crab baits fished from sandy beaches, while rockier areas will also hold bass along with wrasse and the chance of a conger eel. There are also sea trout around the area (but a licence needed to legally catch this species). View this area on Google Maps here.
Isle of Skye – Marks all around the isle such as Staffin are ideal for lure fishing for pollock, coalfish, wrasse and bass. Niest Point is the most westerly point on the isle and offers plenty of opportunities for bait fishing around the famous lighthouse area with bass, pollock, coalfish and a range of flatfish all possible catches, plus lure fishing for pollock and mackerel in summer. Fishing around this area has the added bonus of offering the chance of seeing whales, dolphins or a basking shark out at sea. View this area on Google Maps here.
Isle of Lewis – Flatfish such as flounder and plaice are regularly caught from the beaches to usual worm and crab baits while spinning and lure fishing can be productive for pollock from the many rock marks, and mackerel provide good sport to light gear in the summer. Turbot can be caught from this area with mackerel and sandeel baits the best choice, although they will also take worm and crab. Eoropie Beach at the far north of the island offers good fishing for flounder and turbot with long-range casting producing the best results for the anglers targeting turbot. View this area on Google Maps here.
Uist Islands – North Uist has Griminish Pier which is a popular fishing venue offering pollock and mackerel in the summer with float fishing and spinning with light gear the best way to fish. Kallin Harbour is another venue worth trying with similar methods. South Uist beaches can give mullet to the usual stealthy tactics as well as bass and flatfish to worm baits. Other marks around this area can produce the usual range of flatfish as well as decent bass during summer to baits fished on the bottom. View this area on Google Maps here.
Ullapool – Harbour, jetty and surrounding areas offer pollock and in summer mackerel with the chance of bass to spinners and lures. Try float fishing with ragworm or fish strip and use light gear for maximum sport. Winter brings cod and whiting, with big squid, lugworm and peeler crab baits being in with the chance of a big winter fish. Rhue Point and marks near the lighthouse offer great spinning for pollock, coalfish and also wrasse throughout summer, as well as mackerel. Conger can also be caught from the rock marks to mackerel or squid baits. View this area on Google Maps here.
Durness – Sandy waters around the Kyle of Durness offer great flatfish fishing and potentially the chance of a decent bass, especially when the surf is running. As these waters are fairly shallow it is best to use baits such as ragworm, whole squid, mackerel and peeler crab to target the bass, rather than spinners and plugs, and longer range casting will pay off. Fishing in summer from rocky marks will give pollock to lures, plugs and jelly lures, as well as mackerel. Sea trout can also take spinners in these waters, but, as always, remember a licence is needed to target and keep this species. View this area on Google Maps here.
Thurso – Dunnet Beach offers bass to baits such as peeler crab and ragworm, while they can also be caught on lures and spinners from the deeper water marks. The usual species of flatfish such as plaice and flounder can also be caught on all worm, crab and shellfish baits. Scrabster Harbour also offers good fishing opportunities for flatfish such as flounder and dab as well productive lure fishing in the summer and will also produce some decent sized cod and whiting in the winter. View this area on Google Maps here.
Orkney Islands – Kirkwall Harbour Bay fishes well at all stages of the tide for flounder, cod, dab and whiting, while Tingwall Pier good for fishing for similar species with large amounts of mackerel taken in the summer to spinners, feathers and daylights. The sandy beaches around Newark Bay area offering similar species as well as the chance of decent bass when there is surf running. Fishing after dark can produce the best results as fish will come into shallower water and within range of the shore angler. View this area on Google Maps here.
Wick – Longberry rock marks offer coalfish, pollack and wrasse to baits and lures, plus good cod fishing in winter. Many of the rocks are flat and offer reasonably good access but can be slippery so take care if it begins to rain when fishing there. Other rock marks less accessible but can offer good fishing, but as always, safety is paramount. The beaches at Castletown and Keiss also offer flatfish to worm, crab and shellfish baits and the chance of a decent bass to ragworm, lugworm or peeler crab baits. View this area on Google Maps here.
Dornoch – Brora beach offers dab and flounder through the day will bass also a possibility, nearby Embo Beach is a flatfish hotspot with flounder, dab, plaice and turbot all possibility. Worm baits and fishing at night tend to produce the best results. Dornoch Firth also offers flatfish, bass and silver eels to various baits with mackerel, lugworm, ragworm and especially peeler crab producing fish. It is worth fishing quite far up the Dornoch Firth for flatfish, with flounder, in particular, venturing inland well past the Dornoch Bridge. View this area on Google Maps here.
Fraserburgh and Peterhead – The piers and breakwater at Fraserburgh offer wrasse, pollock and mackerel in the summer with the beaches producing flatfish and potentially bass. Cod will also be present in the winter. Areas around the power station have been known to produce school bass as well as mullet to stealthy tactics and bread, earthworm or tiny fish baits. Peterhead Pier offers good general sea fishing, especially for cod, with dab, coalfish and wrasse all also caught with any of the main fishing baits working. This mark can be snaggy, especially when casting outside the pier, but the ground is cleaner when casting into the harbour. Mackerel are caught from piers using feathers, daylights or spinners in summer. View Fraserburg on Google Maps here, and Peterhead here.
Aberdeenshire – Mouth of the River Don holds flatfish, especially flounder which will go for worm and crab baits, with other species such as cod, whiting and silver eels also caught on these baits. Gourdon Harbour fishes best at high tide for big cod and coalfish all year round with a rough, choppy sea churning up the seabed and providing the best conditions but bear in mind that it is unsafe to fish here when the weather is very bad. This can also be a very snaggy venue. Crawton rock marks offer great cod fishing in the winter, and pollack, bass, mackerel and coalfish all going for lures throughout the summer. Inverbervie Beach is made up of shingle and offers good fishing with a gully around fifty yards out which is certainly worth targeting. Cod are here throughout the autumn and winter with double-figure fish a real possibility. However, weed can be a problem. Various flatfish, rockling, coalfish and dogfish may make an appearance at other times of the year. The ground can be rough so rotten bottoms help, many anglers find this venue fishes best after dark over high tide. View this area on Google Maps here.
Arbroath and Montrose – Rock marks around this area such as Rumness and the cliff marks will produce cod, with rougher seas attracting the bigger fish within range of the sea angler, but be great care is needed and some marks are too dangerous to fish in bad weather. Calmer summer conditions will see coalfish and pollock going for lures in these areas. Cages at Arbroath Harbour also good for cod fishing and it is worth trying a big bait on a 6/0 hook to be in with a chance of catching a double-figure fish. However, take care in bad weather as waves can sweep over fishing points. Beaches around Montrose are great for flatfish with flounder and dab especially showing to worm baits, and there is also the chance of a good bass from this mark. View this area on Google Maps here.
Dundee and River Tay Estuary – Riverside Drive offers easy access for fishing with whiting, dab, flounder, codling and silver eel, coalfish and pollock all possible catches. There are a number of different marks along Riverside Drive with Tescos and Rail Bridge two of the most popular. With so many species on offer here all main sea fishing baits will catch with two hook rigs with 1/0 or 2/0 hooks a good idea as this allows two different baits to be used. Sea trout also caught here, usually at dusk or dawn, but a licence is needed to target this species. Shingle beaches around this area will also produce flatfish to the usual baits. Broughton Ferry area offers more flatfish, coalfish and the chance of cod. The Tay Estuary also good for sea fishing with flounder caught in great numbers. Tide can be very strong here making grip leads necessary, although at times the strength of the tide can make some areas unfishable. View this area on Google Maps here.
St Andrews – Rock marks around the St Andrews area offer cod for most of the year, with the biggest specimens being caught in the winter. Pollock also show mostly in summer around the rock marks to bottom fished baits or lures and spinners. Flatfish such as flounder and plaice can also be caught in the sandy areas and mixed ground, while both school bass and some larger fish can be caught by spinners and plugs worked over rocky ground. The sandy areas of St Andrews Bay and around the River Eden estuary can also fish very well for flatfish, especially flounders which will come in close to the shore and favour worm and crab baits. View this area on Google Maps here.
Cellardyke – Cellardyke Harbour and piers are a good mark for winter cod with large specimens reported, and coalfish caught as well to baits such as black lugworm, mussel and squid. The seabed here can be very snaggy and even with rotten bottom rigs tackle losses are to be expected. Float fishing a mackerel strip or sandeel in the summer can produce wrasse and possibly pollock as well. Fishing on the pier and other marks can be dangerous on a big tide or stormy weather so take care and stick to fishing these marks in calm weather and safe conditions. View this area on Google Maps here.
Anstruther – There are two piers at Anstruther, the white pier (so-called because it has a white lighthouse on the end), and the red pier. Similar species that are caught at Cellardyke can be caught here – cod in the winter, as well as coalfish and come very good wrasse in the summer as well as flatfish. High tide the best time to fish the white pier. Although there is little space at the end of both piers there are fishable marks long the lengths of both piers. The ground is mixed and patchy, with some snaggy areas and other places where casts can land on cleaner ground. The usual big cod baits of black lugworm, mussel and squid are the best winter choices. View this area on Google Maps here.
Dysart Harbour, Kirkcaldy and Burntisland – Dysart is a good venue with the harbour and piers providing mackerel in summer and flounder as well with the best chance of a big specimen coming in autumn. Rock marks around Kirkcaldy good for cod in winter, bass show in summer and flounder can be caught throughout the year, with the biggest flatfish again caught in autumn. Burntisland Breakwater produces summer mackerel to feathers, daylights and spinners over high tide in the summer, with pollock and wrasse going for float fished baits as well. Winter will see cod and whiting caught on bottom fished baits in the winter with peeler crab, squid, mussel and worm baits all working well. View this area on Google Maps here.
Edinburgh/Musselburgh – Granton Breakwater/Harbour for general fishing for cod, coalfish and wrasse, with a range of baits with ragworm, lugworm, peeler crab and squid all producing. Mackerel can be caught in big numbers with daylights by better sport had with spinners and light tackle. Cockenzie Power Station offers mackerel fishing as well and is a great mullet fishing venue with light freshwater-style tackle, size 6 hooks and bread or earthworms worth a try. Bass are also here in numbers but the average size is small. They can be caught on a variety of baits and will also take spinners and lures. View this area on Google Maps here.
St Abb’s Head – Great mark with some very big pollock caught on lures, spinners and jelly lures every year. Plenty of mackerel also make a summer appearance and daylights can get a full house on every cast. Coalfish can also be caught on daylights/spinners, although small coalfish can reach pest proportions in the summer months. Wrasse will also be caught to ragworm or mackerel strip float fished close in, and there are still good summer cod around, although many anglers believe that peeler crab bait is the only bait worth using for this species. Many of the rock marks here are difficult to access and care must be taken, as even light rain can cause rocks to become slippery and dangerous. This mark is best avoided in anything other than good weather. View this area on Google Maps here.