The size and features of Scotland's 647 beaches are part of detailed surveys published by Scottish Natural Heritage. The Beaches of Scotland reports profile all of the main features and processes occurring on each beach, such as sand dunes and levels of erosion.
They were originally written during 1969 to 1981 to help assess suitability of Scotland's beaches for tourism.
It is hoped the comparative studies will provide a definitive beach guide for both researchers and the public.
SNH officer Alistair Rennie said the reports were regarded as an essential historic record of beaches.
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"These reports provide detailed information on Scotland's incredible array of sandy beaches," he said.
"They are particularly useful for anyone whose work involves surveying beaches, but will also be of interest to people who want to find out a bit more about their favourite beach or the number and type of beaches in their area."
According to reports, the longest areas of sandy beach are in Strathclyde and the Western Isles (118.4km and 145.2 km respectively), while the Borders and Shetland have the shortest lengths (2.8km and 14.6km).
Beaches in the north, south and west all showed a high proportion of erosion due to sea level rise.
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