High 5: Alison Cleary

Alison Cleary, 29, a photographer from Merchiston, names her top five seaside spots around Edinburgh and Lothian.

1 Yellowcraigs. This is my favourite beach. You walk through the woods and the dunes and come out on to an open beach where there's a small island with a lighthouse on top. It's beautiful.

2 Cramond. I love walking across to the island when the tide's down – especially in the winter – followed by a good bowl of seafood chowder at the Cramond Inn.

3 Gullane. This is a great spot for flying a kite and the sand is such a gorgeous deep golden colour. The view across the Forth is stunning.

4 Seton Sands. You can walk endlessly along the beach here and watch the sun go down over the coal-fired power station. I'm a photographer so I appreciate these things!

5 Portobello. It has a real Victorian seaside feel with the twopenny machines and the fresh sea air. On a Sunday you get an accordion player there, which is ace.