Five Scottish beaches have met tough European standards for cleanliness.

The beaches which passed the Blue Flag tests on clean water, management and visitor facilities are exactly the same as last year's successful candidates.

Scotland's failure to improve its total came as Britain managed a record 83 blue flag beaches.

Fife Council said it was "delighted" that four of Scotland's five best beaches were in its area.

Scotland's five blue flag beaches

Aberdour, Silver Sands, Fife Burntisland, Fife Elie Harbour, Fife St Andrews, West Sands, Fife Nairn, Moray

Jim Brennan, Fife Council's arts and leisure spokesman, said: "I am absolutely delighted with this news.

"These awards show that Fife Council's Beach Management Strategy gives us some of the best beaches not just in Scotland but also Europe."

The Blue Flag has become the definitive European measure of beaches since it was launched in 1987.

It is regarded as a highly effective monitoring system because it measures everything from disabled access to the number of bins provided and the amount of litter on the beach.

Overall, the International Blue Flag Jury awarded flags to 2,087 beaches and 729 marinas in 22 European countries.

The environmental campaigns group ENCAMS, which organises the Blue Flag programme as well as Keep Scotland Beautiful, said the record figure was "superb news for Britain and the two million people working in tourism."