Who needs Cornwall? The beautiful beaches that prove North is better than South
As the Met Office warns that temperatures in the UK could touch 35C by the end of the week, it might be time to ditch the office and hit the beach.
Holidaymakers eager to make the most of the hot weather are flocking to the beaches of Cornwall and Devon, but the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have plenty of fantastic options where you can soak up the sun – often without the crowds.
And fear not, you will still return home with a tan. This week, Bamburgh on the coast of Northumberland will hit highs of 23C, while popular Padstow on Cornwall’s north coast is anticipated to be a whole degree cooler at just 22C.
Here, we pick some of our favourite UK beaches (southern England not included).
Yorkshire
1. Sandsend, Whitby
Set against a backdrop of grassy cliffs, where the wide sweep of beach from Whitby ends, this stretch is quieter and prettier than its famous neighbour. Children play in the little becks that flow across the sand and ducks waddle across the green in charming Sandsend village. This is a great place for fossil hunting at low tide.
2. Cattersty Sands, Skinningrove
This spectacular beach and little-known bay is sheltered behind high crags and a grassy meadow and comes complete with clear water and beautiful sand. A strange ruined pier still stands here, built by the Skinningrove Iron Company in 1886 for loading ore on to steamers bound for Middlesbrough. If you’re feeling adventurous, practise your swallow dive from its heights or snorkel its depths.
Cumbria
3. Drigg and Eskdale, Lake District
More than a thousand golden acres of pristine dunes sweep their way down to the Cumbrian coast from the high mountains of Scafell Pike. At Drigg, a 1,000 acre expanse of empty dunes and nature reserve stretch for miles along the Irish Sea and form an important breeding site for the rare natterjack toad. Just beyond is Ravenglass, a tidal harbour favoured by the Romans, and the terminus of a little railway that climbs up into Eskdale.
County Durham
4. North Sands, Hartlepool
Time your visit with the low tide and enjoy one of the best beach walks in the North East – and one of the first stretches of our shoreline officially designated part of the England Coast Path. From The Headland, the site of a statue of cartoon legend Andy Capp, you descend to the wide expanse of golden sand. Dilapidated Steetley Pier is all that remains of the old magnesite works, but the cliffs still glow yellow with magnesian limestone. At high tide, the coastal path runs along the top of the cliffs.
Northumberland
5. Bamburgh
Overlooked by Bamburgh Castle, this beautiful stretch of wild coastline offers clear seas and huge sands that stretch to Seahouses, three miles away. On a clear day you can see out to Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands.
6. Sugar Sands
It is only a short walk to these sweetly named sands between the market town of Alnwick and the eerie remains of Dunstanburgh Castle. A pretty little stream runs down through woodland and there are plenty of trees from which to string your hammock. A little farther on, at Rumbling Kern, are fabulous rock pools that are large enough to swim in, and extraordinary rock formations, with ledges for jumping.
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7. Coves Haven, Holy Island
Holy Island (or Lindisfarne) was the birthplace of Christianity in England. Many cross the tidal causeway to visit the monastery founded by St Aidan of Iona in the seventh century but few know about the beach on the north side of the island. This haven is where the monks would retreat to commune with the ocean and cleanse themselves in the waves. The sandy bay is overlooked by sandstone caves that are homes to birds of prey.
Lancashire
8. Formby
The monumental dunes here are classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and from their tops there are views of the Cumbrian mountains – and even Blackpool Tower on a clear day. Footpaths lead through the pinewoods behind to a red squirrel reserve (this is one of the last outposts in Britain), and on the vast expanse of beach you can sometimes spot prehistoric human and animal footprints. The sunsets here are spectacular.
East coast of Scotland
9. Lunan Bay
This magnificent two-mile strand on the unheralded Angus coastline is backed by dunes and overlooked by Red Castle, a crumbling 12th-century fortress. Its pink sandstone hues match the colour of the low red cliffs and curious rock formations on the beach below. This is a great place for birdwatching, and is popular with surfers and riders. Some swear the sands have a rosy tint; certainly the shore glitters after a storm, when semiprecious stones such as agate and jasper can be found. Take care when swimming as there are strong currents.
10. Seacliff Beach, North Berwick
Less than 45 minutes from central Edinburgh, this beach is hidden under a wooded hillside. There are views up to the ruins of clifftop -Tantallon Castle, dating from the 14th century, and out to sea is the guano-capped island of Bass Rock, rising like a cupcake from the sea. To the left of the beach is a tiny harbour inlet with jumps and swimming.
11. Dunnotar Castle beach, Stonehaven
At the base of a precipitous slope, the beach by Dunnotar Castle in the east of Scotland has to be one of the most dramatic settings in the country. While it's fairly difficult to reach, if you hang around late enough, you can see sunset out over the sea, with the ruins of the home of the Earls Marischal looming above you.
West coast of Scotland
12. Sandwood Bay, Cape Wrath, Sutherland
Sutherland's – and arguably Scotland's – best beach is Sandwood Bay: a glorious, mile-long stretch of sparkling sand that is pounded by North Atlantic rollers and backed by undulating dunes. The beach, which is owned and managed by the John Muir Trust, is popular with intrepid types – there's a hike of four and a half miles from Blairmore.
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13. Silver Sands of Morar, Inverness-shire
A series of pure, white sandy beaches between Arisaig and Morar in the West Highlands, with views over the sea to Skye and the isles of Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna. Featured in the film Local Hero, they lie near the end of the “Road to the Isles” from Fort William, one of the most scenic routes in Britain.
Scottish Islands
14. Bay at the Back of the Ocean, Iona, Hebrides
The Gaelic name of this idyllic bay of white sand and shingle, Camus Cul an Tabh, refers to the fact that the next landfall is Newfoundland. Bounded by carpets of wildflowers in spring, it is a short walk along a farm track from the peaceful island’s famous abbey, but few visitors are aware of it.
15. Luskentyre, Outer Hebrides
Hidden at the end of a winding road on the wild north-west coast of the Isle of Harris, this long stretch of brilliant sand is washed by shallow, startlingly azure water. Farther out are the steel-grey rollers more often associated with Scotland, studded with empty, windswept islands.
16. Uig Bay, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides
Legendary beaches adorn the islands of the Outer Hebrides, and Uig Bay on the Isle of Lewis is possibly the most spectacular. Even under storm clouds the water glows an unearthly jade over the iridescent shell sand. The best part of the bay is Carnais, at the end of a dead end track beyond a small whisky micro-distillery. Drop down through wildflower -meadows of orchid and harebells to dunes. The water is cold, but in the summer sun the top layer warms up nicely. There are camping facilities down on Ardroil beach and if you want to explore further bays try the beaches and machair meadows at -Bhaltos and Kneep.
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17. Fidden, Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides
Some say Mull doesn’t have sandy beaches, but the south-west tip is riddled with secret coves. At Fidden a wild campsite on grassy meadows awaits, leading down to a sandy bay with westerly views over the Iona archipelago. Sunsets are -sublime and you should try swimming out to one of the tiny islets. At low tide you can wade across to Erraid, Stevenson’s Treasure Island, and a path also leads to the lost village of Tireragan.
18. Elgol Beach, Skye
This Scottish beach is the ideal spot for those that love a good mountain view. Its sea lochs are reminiscent of fjords and across the water, the Cuillin range looms against the skyline. Along the beach to the south of the village, through an arch in the cliff, you will find Bonnie Prince Charlie’s cave where the prince hid during his last days in Scotland.
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Northern Ireland
19. Portstewart Strand
A magnificent beach on the Causeway Coast, bounded at one end by low basalt cliffs and at the other by the River Bann. The dunes that back the two-mile-long Strand reach heights of 100ft and more, lending it an air of wildness and mystery, and the waves that crash on to the beach provide reasonable surfing. In neighbouring Portrush you can marvel at sea-sculpted shapes in limestone cliffs on White Rocks beach – the Cathedral Cave, the Lion's Paw, the Wishing Arch.
20. White Park Bay
Patrick Barkham, walking this glorious three-mile arc of beach between two headlands near the Giant’s Causeway for his book Coastlines, wrote that the sand was “so fine it squeaked”. It’s a great spot for picnics, sandcastle-building and nature trails (otter prints were photographed recently). Ocean currents can be strong, so it’s not ideal for swimming.
North Wales
21. Porth Wen, Bull Bay, Anglesey
This forgotten bay is one of the most intriguing of Anglesey’s many coves. Down an unsigned, little-used path you suddenly come upon a ruined harbour and old brickworks with a honeycomb of furnaces and chimney stacks to explore. The beach is made of perfect quartz white shingle and there is a natural rock arch to swim through. Walk up the coast north ? mile to Porth Llanlleiana to find another ghost harbour with ruins and beach.
22. Llanddwyn Bay, Anglesey
It’s at the end of the road on an island off Wales, and on a clear summer’s day the peaks of Snowdonia float like a mirage in the blue yonder. During gales it turns it into a Celtic Gobi desert, while in balmy heatwaves it outshines the Med. At one end of the three-mile beach is a little island that can be reached on foot at low tide, with a terrace of pilots’ cottages and a miniature lighthouse. The pillow-shaped rocks nearby are the remains of lava-flows from undersea eruptions.
23. Porth Iago, Llyn Peninsula, Gwynedd
This thick wedge of pure white, west-facing sand occupies a deep cleft in the cliffs. There are flower-filled dunes and a hill fort, perfect for spotting pods of dolphins jumping through the waves at sunset. It’s a bumpy drive down through the old farm but you wild camp above the beach for a few pounds extra. This is a good place to seek out spider crabs at low tide – they are one of the tastiest types of crabmeat, though picking them up is a bit tricky!
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