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Coldest sea in United Kingdom

914 coastal locations in United Kingdom ranked by year-round average sea temperature, coldest first. The regional average is 12.0°C. The top of the list is where the water stays cold all year. The contrast list at the bottom shows the warmest coasts for context.

Coldest location

Sumburgh

Year-round average 9.9°C in United Kingdom

Regional average

12.0°C

across all 914 United Kingdom coastal locations

Coldest month

February

8.1°C region-wide average

United Kingdom monthly average 8.1°C to 16.5°C
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  • Warmest month August 16.5°C
  • Coldest month February 8.1°C
  • Annual mean 12.0°C
  • Months above 20°C 0 of 12

Month by month across United Kingdom

Sea temperatures in United Kingdom swing from 8.1°C in February to 16.5°C in August on average across every coast we track. That spread of 8°C hides much bigger swings at individual locations.

Want a specific month? Pick one for a dedicated ranking:

United Kingdom sea temperature map

Today's pin colours show the latest daily reading at every United Kingdom location we track. Cool blues cluster around the high-latitude coasts.

Zoom in to see individual locations. Click a pin for water temperatures. View list →
°C -2 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 24 27 30 35

Top 50 coldest locations in United Kingdom

Coastal locations across United Kingdom sorted by year-round average, coldest first. Honest cold-water swimming country. Click any place for its 30-day chart, monthly profile, and 10-year history.

# Location Annual mean
1 Sumburgh Scotland 9.9°C
2 Scalloway Shetland Islands 10.0°C
3 Shetland Shetland Islands 10.0°C
4 Lerwick Scotland 10.0°C
5 Sandwick Scotland 10.0°C
6 Bay of Quendale Shetland Islands 10.1°C
7 Sumburgh (Grutness Voe) Shetland Islands 10.1°C
8 Aberdeen Scotland 10.1°C
9 Newtonhill Scotland 10.1°C
10 Portlethen Scotland 10.1°C
11 Fair Isle Shetland Islands 10.2°C
12 Inverbervie Scotland 10.2°C
13 Stonehaven Scotland 10.2°C
14 Bur Wick Orkney 10.2°C
15 Burray Ness Orkney 10.2°C
16 Deer Sound Orkney 10.2°C
17 Newark Bay Orkney 10.2°C
18 St Mary's Bay Orkney 10.2°C
19 St. Mary's Orkney 10.2°C
20 Widewall Bay Orkney 10.2°C
21 Boddam Scotland 10.2°C
22 Kirkwall Scotland 10.2°C
23 Orkney Scotland 10.2°C
24 Port Erroll Scotland 10.2°C
25 River Don Aberdeen City 10.2°C
Show 25 more ▸
26 Muckle Skerry Orkney 10.2°C
27 Newburgh Aberdeenshire 10.2°C
28 West Burra Firth Shetland Islands 10.2°C
29 Kettletoft Pier Orkney 10.2°C
30 Loth Orkney 10.2°C
31 Whitehall Orkney 10.2°C
32 Out Skerries Orkney 10.3°C
33 Montrose Scotland 10.3°C
34 Egilsay Orkney 10.3°C
35 Anstruther Scotland 10.3°C
36 Carnoustie Scotland 10.3°C
37 Dunbar Scotland 10.3°C
38 North Berwick Scotland 10.3°C
39 Peterhead Scotland 10.3°C
40 Scapa Flow Scotland 10.3°C
41 Pierowall Orkney 10.3°C
42 Rapness Orkney 10.3°C
43 Burra Voe (Yell Sound) Shetland Islands 10.3°C
44 Dury Voe Shetland Islands 10.3°C
45 Gullane Scotland 10.3°C
46 Leven Scotland 10.3°C
47 Mid Yell Shetland Islands 10.3°C
48 Toft Pier Shetland Islands 10.3°C
49 Tofts Voe Shetland Islands 10.3°C
50 Aberdour Scotland 10.4°C

Warmest 10 in United Kingdom for contrast

Same data flipped. Useful if you want to know which United Kingdom coasts stay warmest year-round before you commit to a cold-water swim trip.

# Location Annual mean
1 Maseline Pier Channel Islands 13.6°C
2 Hope Cove Devon 13.6°C
3 Portscatho Cornwall 13.6°C
4 Salcombe Devon 13.6°C
5 Cargreen Cornwall 13.6°C
6 Devonport Plymouth 13.6°C
7 Jupiter Point Cornwall 13.6°C
8 Lizard Point Cornwall 13.6°C
9 Lostwithiel Cornwall 13.6°C
10 River Yealm Entrance Devon 13.6°C

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