Nude and Naturist Beaches in the UK

The UK has a long tradition of nude sunbathing, with naturists using some of its beaches since the 1930s. If you enjoy being naked outdoors, these are the best-known places to do it. But one thing needs saying up front, on a dogging site of all places: a naturist beach is not a dogging spot. Naturists are there to enjoy the sun and the sea, and that's all. Read on for the beaches, the rules, and what to do if you're looking for something more.

Official and traditional beaches

British Naturism, the national body for naturism, divides the country's beaches into two kinds. A few are officially signposted as naturist beaches. Many more are "traditional" naturist beaches, which aren't officially recognised but have been used by naturists for years, often because they're remote or hard to reach.

The best-known nude beaches in the UK

• Studland Bay, Dorset: around 900 metres of Knoll Beach on the National Trust's Studland estate, marked out for naturists. Probably the UK's best-known naturist beach.
• Brighton, East Sussex: the naturist beach near Black Rock, east of the Palace Pier, and one of the most public in the country.
• Morfa Dyffryn, near Llanbedr, Gwynedd: Wales's best-known naturist beach, used since the 1930s. The naturist stretch is about a kilometre long, roughly half an hour's walk from the nearest car parks.
• Holkham Bay, Norfolk: nude sunbathing has gone on here for many years, on a beach managed as part of a nature reserve. Naturism isn't permitted in the dunes, and the designated area has reportedly been closed in the past after complaints, so check the signs before you strip off.
• Shellness, Isle of Sheppey, Kent: an official naturist beach near Leysdown-on-Sea, backed by the Swale National Nature Reserve. Wear shoes: the broken shells are sharp.
• Cleat's Shore, Isle of Arran: believed to be Scotland's only official nudist beach, remote and very exposed to the weather.
• Druridge Bay, Northumberland: not official, but a stretch has been used by naturists for more than 50 years.
• Haven Cliffs, near Seaton, Devon: a stony beach east of Seaton, easy to reach but less secluded than most.
• Rocken End, Isle of Wight: a long-established unofficial beach, with naturists at the northern end towards Blackgang.

Things change, including access: the path to Pedn Vounder in Cornwall, once a popular unofficial nude beach, has been closed by the National Trust because of coastal erosion. Check before you travel.

The rules on a naturist beach

• No sexual activity, and nothing that looks like it. That means no exhibitionism and no open arousal. Naturists take this seriously, and complaints about what they call "adult behaviour" have done their beaches real damage.
• Know the boundaries. Stay within the naturist area, and keep your clothes handy for the walk there and back.
• Stay out of the dunes where that's the rule. Often they're protected habitats.
• Don't stare, and don't take photos of other people.
• Give people space. On a near-empty beach, don't settle down right next to someone.

What about the law?

Simply being naked isn't in itself a crime in England and Wales: the exposure offence needs an intention to cause someone alarm or distress. But sexual activity is a very different matter. On a public beach, where families or walkers could easily see you, it's exactly what the law on outraging public decency is there for. Our guide Is dogging legal in the UK? explains the detail. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws, and we understand Northern Ireland has no nudist beaches at all.

Looking for something more than a tan?

Then a naturist beach isn't the place, and going there for that spoils things for everyone. Look at our UK dogging sites instead. Some coastal spots do have a reputation among doggers, and they're covered county by county, with a map for each. Our guide to dogging in summer is worth a read too, for how to stay cool and sun-safe when you're outdoors for hours.

Before you go

Find dogging sites in other counties: Dogging sites across the UK