Britain's 10 greatest coastal walking trails

Telegraph

02-03-2025

What a prospect: when it's finally completed – hopefully in 2025 – the King Charles III England Coast Path will be the longest managed shoreline-hugging trail in the world, measuring some 2,700 miles and opening up access to some areas for the very first time.
It will show walkers the full diversity of the country's coast, from perilous cliffs soaring over 300m to nebulous salt marshes that merge into the waves, from sandy bucket-and-spade strands to smuggler-y coves, from shanty-ringing fishing harbours to bays brimful of rock pools and fossils. And that's just England. Add in the edges of Wales and Scotland and, by some estimates, there are over 11,000 miles of coast to explore.
No need to walk it all, of course. Even a short stroll will deliver a health-boosting dose of blue space and sea-salty air. Feeling inspired? We've chosen 10 great day walks to get you started.
1. Isle of Purbeck, Dorset
The Jurassic Coast is jam-packed with geology at its most engrossing and good-looking. At the southern end of Studland Bay, that comes in the form of Old Harry Rocks. Named after a notorious pirate, the rocks are a chain of chalk hills eroded down during the last Ice Age – and they're still being eroded by the waves today. A lovely loop from Studland village leads over the open chalk grasslands of Ballard Down – awash with wildflowers in summer, and a great place for bird-spotting – as well as looping over nature-rich Godlingston Heath, which provided inspiration for Thomas Hardy.
Where to stay
The Pig on the Beach in Studland (0345 225 9494; thepighotel.com/on-the-beach) has doubles from £175pn, B&B.
2. East Neuk, Fife
The 'nook' of Fife, where the Firth of Forth meets the North Sea, is the Scottish coast at its quaintest. Here, a series of winsome fishing villages unfurls, all lobster-potted harbours, tight-knit stone cottages and excellent fish and chips. The plummest stretch is between Elie's golden sands and photogenic Crail. En route lie St Monans (home to a historic windmill, salt pans and tidal swimming pool), the pretty port of Pittenweem, foodie Anstruther and a varied shore of fascinating rocks, castle ruins and slobbed-out seals. The Number 95 bus stops at every village, making it easy to stop when you like.
Where to stay
The harbourside Ship Inn in Elie (01333 330246; shipinn.scot) has doubles from £100pn, B&B.
3. Northumberland
The Northumberland coast is an area of such outstanding natural beauty that it's earned National Landscape status. A hiking path runs the length of it but, if you've only got one day, start from Craster's harbour and head north. Almost immediately the trail hits Dunstanburgh castle, its 14th-century ruins seemingly slipping into the sea. Beyond lie the blonde sands and rippling dunes of Embleton Bay, Newton Pool Nature Reserve (bring binoculars for the bird hides) and the golden curve of Beadnell Bay, beloved of fisher-folk and swimmers. Stop here, or continue a mile-ish more into vibrant Seahouses; the Alnwick-Berwick bus stops at villages along the route.
Where to stay
A former 18th-century granary, Beadnell Towers (01665 721211; beadnelltowers.co.uk) has doubles from £144pn, B&B.
4. Dinas Island, Pembrokeshire
Small but mighty, that's Dinas. The loop around this bulbous headland (it's not an island at all) crams all that's fabulous about the 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path into one short shot. There are lovely beaches, at both Pwllgwaelod and, a kilometre east through the woods, Cwm-yr-Eglwys; the latter also has a ruined seaside chapel. Then there's a thrilling cliff path that passes a seabird-flocked rock, and a trig point with 360-degree views: out to sea, along the craggy coast and inland to the Preseili hills. Icing on the cake? Back in Pwllgwaelod, the Sailors' Safety awaits, an old smugglers' pub that's had a recent gastro makeover.
Where to stay
Llys Meddyg (01239 820008; llysmeddyg.com), in nearby Newport, has chic-n-cosy doubles from £125pn, B&B.
5. North Norfolk
There's a lot to love about the 83-mile Norfolk Coast Path. Not least that it's one of the gentler National Trails, great for long-distance beginners. And that a Coasthopper bus makes it easy to plan linear walks. However, a circular stroll from the flint-stone village of Blakeney gives a good taste of this varied shore. This isn't cute beach-y Norfolk, this is a land of salt marshes spreading under enormous bird-filled skies and a sand spit covered in seals. The route follows a stretch of Coast Path, loops to comely Cley – where a windmill rises above the reedbeds – and veers inland to Wiveton, with its good pub (wivetonbell.co.uk) and slightly higher ground, affording views to sea.
Where to stay
The quayside Blakeney Hotel (01263 740797; blakeney-hotel.co.uk) has doubles from £188pn, B&B.
6. North York Moors National Park, Yorkshire
This is a mighty-fine cliff-top walk between the fishing villages of Staithes and Runswick. Both are a delight of higgle-piggle lanes, the former hugging a tight harbour, the latter sitting by one of the country's finest bays. If that's walk enough, grab a pint in Runswick's Royal Hotel, then bus back. If not, continue to Whitby, first via the 'Hob Hole' caves (said to be were goblins live), then up a gully to the spectacular clifftops again. Ahead is a mix of industrial heritage and fossil-rich rock, with Sandsend beach providing refreshment (sandsidecafe.co.uk). The skeletal silhouette of Whitby Abbey looms towards the finish.
Where to stay
The Endeavour in Staithes (01947 841029; endeavour-staithes.co.uk) has doubles from £120pn, B&B.
7. Exmoor, Devon
There's something about the Exmoor coast: it's wild, bold, magic-laced. Top pick for a short Exmoor intro-walk is the craggy Valley of Rocks (accessible via short paved trail from Lynton). But for the highest drama, hike between that amphitheatre-like valley and the pebbly cove of Heddon's Mouth, via the South West Coast Path. Everything about this route is epic: the atmospheric sections amid mossy woods, the rock-hopping wild goats, the detour down to secretive Woody Bay, the views to England's biggest cliffs, the return via an even higher footpath that follows the ramparts of a Roman fort. Opt to start from, and return to, Heddon's Mouth to stay at tucked-away Hunters Inn.
Where to stay
Hunters Inn (0330 094 5918; bespokehotels.com/thehuntersinn) has doubles from £79pn, room only.
8. Cardigan Bay, Ceredigion
Dylan Thomas was a big fan of Cardigan Bay. Wales's national poet lived here for a while; he allegedly based Under Milk Wood's village of Llareggub on New Quay. The real seaside town, with its sloping terraces and resident dolphins, is a good start-point for a walk along this oft-overlooked coastline. First, the trail heads for Point Llanina: at low tide you can walk along the beach; the high-tide alternative passes the site of Thomas's bungalow. Then follows an undulation of untamed coast – high cliffs, layered rock, rivers tumbling through valleys to cascade down into the sea. The colourful Georgian harbour of Aberaeron makes a picturesque finale.
Where to stay
Aberaeron's harbourside Hive Townhouse (01545 570445; hivetownhouse.co.uk) has six smart doubles from £130pn, B&B.
9. Ardnamurchan, Highlands
Ardnamurchan Point, Shipping Forecast mainstay and the UK mainland's westernmost tip, is pretty remote. Fortunately, walking out to it isn't that strenuous. An invigorating loop starts from the minuscule crofting settlement of Portuairk, where a scatter of whitewashed cottages gazes over sandy Sanna Bay to the Small Isles. Skirting hills, crossing grassy hummocks and tracing the coast – along the beach at low tide – the trail reaches beautiful Bay McNeil, with Ardnamurchan's 35m-high lighthouse looming beyond. A detour down the road leads to the light, built in 1849; there's a visitor centre and cafe too. The return follows the road via Loch Grigadale, below cairn-topped Beinn Bhuidhe.
Where to stay
AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year 2024/25, the Ardnamurchan Peninsula's Mingary Castle (01972 614380; mingarycastle.co.uk) has luxe doubles from £256pn, B&B.
10. Seven Sisters, East Sussex
Walking eastward from the lost Saxon village of Exceat along the South Downs Way is classic British coast walking. First, the route plays with the pools, meanders and water meadows of the yawning Cuckmere Valley. Then it's up onto the rollercoastering white cliffs of the Seven Sisters. The trail drops down to the National Trust village of Birling Gap, with its cafe, rock pools and big views up to those dazzling cliffs. Buses run back to Exceat. Or climb again, continuing past Belle Tout lighthouse, to top 162m Beachy Head. Buses runs from here, too.
Where to stay
Strikingly located Belle Tout Lighthouse (01323 423185; belletout.co.uk) has doubles from £210pn, B&B.
Coastal walking | Top tips
Coast walking can be windy. Pack a windproof jacket and a snuggly fitting hat that won't blow off.
Wear sturdy, waterproof walking boots or shoes; walking poles offer added stability on uneven ground.
Check tide times so you don't get cut off (easytide.admiralty.co.uk)
Check the inshore forecast – walking on cliff edges and exposed shores is dangerous in bad weather (metoffice.gov.uk).
Be alert to the potential dangers in the terrain, such as wet ground, algae-covered rocks, landslides and precipitous drops.
If you or your walk-mates find yourself in a coastal emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.