Yorkshire Coast Walking Break: Seabirds, Smugglers & Seaside Strolls
Explore the wild and rugged beauty of the Yorkshire Coast on this sociable three-night walking break. With a sea front base in Scarborough, fully guided coastal walks, seasonal wildlife, and stories of smugglers and fishing communities, this is a car-free escape that makes the most of Yorkshire’s dramatic shoreline.
Experience Type: Multi-Day Experience
Duration: 3 nights
Accommodation: Hotel
Transport: Car-Free Experience
Group Size: Maximum 8
Level: Leisurely Plus
Age: 18+
Dogs: No dogs, except trained assistance dogs
What to Expect on This Yorkshire Coast Walking Break:
Guided coastal walking each day: Led by experienced guides, with walks ranging from 8–11 miles through scenic and varied coastal landscapes.
Stay in Scarborough’s North Bay: A sea front hotel provides a relaxed base with easy access to the coast path.
Wildlife watching and birdlife highlights: Visit Bempton Cliffs RSPB Reserve at puffin season, with opportunities to spot gannets, seals, and possibly dolphins.
Explore Yorkshire’s fishing villages and harbours: Walk through Staithes, Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby, discovering stories of fishing, folklore, and coastal industry.
A sociable trip with included transport: Meet like-minded walkers, enjoy shared meals, and leave the car behind with free collection from Scarborough Station.
Book today…
Explore the Yorkshire Coast – Car-Free Walking Break
Enjoy a three-night sociable walking break along the Yorkshire Coast, staying at a sea front hotel in Scarborough's North Bay. With fully guided coastal walks, fascinating local history, and seasonal wildlife highlights – this is a car-free experience with collection from Scarborough Train Station at 6pm on the first night and all transport included.
Discover stories of smugglers and fishing legends, puffins and gannets, dinosaurs and alum mines – all while walking with like-minded people in one of England’s most iconic coastal landscapes.
The Drinking Dinosaur Rock at Flamborough on the Yorkshire Coast
Suggested Itinerary
Here’s what we’ve got planned - of course, we may have to offer alternatives or make amendments if the weather misbehaves or other unexpected situations arise!
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Check-in to the hotel is from 3pm, with your guide meeting you in the hotel from 6pm. We’ll head out together for a welcome dinner at 7:30pm in a nearby local restaurant.
Arriving early? Scarborough offers plenty to do. Take a walk along the promenade, visit Scarborough Castle for sweeping sea views and centuries of history, or explore the Rotunda Museum with its fascinating display of fossils from Yorkshire’s Jurassic Coast.
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Mileage: 11 miles
Today’s walk takes us to the chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head and the famous seabird haven of Bempton Cliffs. This is timed to catch the puffin season – so fingers crossed for sightings!
Bempton Cliffs is an RSPB reserve and one of the best places in the UK to see gannets – enormous white seabirds with striking yellow heads and a wingspan of up to two metres.
Our walk takes us out and back along the coast path, with plenty of time to stop for wildlife watching, including possible sightings of seals, razorbills, and kittiwakes. We’ll visit North Landing, the dramatic lighthouse, and the so-called 'Drinking Dinosaur Rock'.
Afterwards, we return to Scarborough for a social pub dinner and the chance to relax.
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Mileage: 10 miles
We start with a visit to Staithes – a historic fishing village with narrow streets and ties to Captain Cook. From here we walk south along a stunning stretch of coast towards Whitby.
The route takes in high cliffs and wide sea views, with stories of shipwrecks, fossils, and industry along the way.
Once we arrive in Whitby, there’s time to explore this lively seaside town – whether you fancy climbing the 199 steps to the Abbey ruins, browsing quirky shops, or wandering the harbour.
Dinner is proper coastal fare: fish and chips from one of Whitby’s famous chippies before we return to the hotel.
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Mileage: 8 miles
Our final walk takes us from Robin Hood’s Bay to Ravenscar and back.
Robin Hood’s Bay is a picturesque village with a rich history of smuggling – narrow alleyways, hidden doorways, and tales of goods passed from cellar to cellar unseen by customs men. Ravenscar, once tipped to be a major resort, now offers a peaceful clifftop spot with remnants of the old Alum works that once fuelled dye production.
We finish with refreshments in Robin Hood’s Bay before returning to Scarborough mid-to-late afternoon for homeward travel.
The Yorkshire Coast – Walking, Wildlife & History
The Yorkshire Coast is rich in natural beauty and human stories. From Jurassic rocks to smuggler’s coves, fishing villages to Victorian resorts – there’s so much to explore on foot.
Expect dramatic cliffs, fossil-rich beaches, and headlands teeming with seabirds. Inland are rolling moorland views and traces of early industry, from alum mining to railway viaducts.
Walking here offers a real sense of place and the ever-changing rhythm of the sea.
Essential Information
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Meeting Time: Check-in from 15:00.
The Large Outdoors host will meet you in the bar from 18:00.
Meeting Location:
Premier Inn Scarborough (North Bay)
26 Burniston Rd,
Scarborough
YO12 6PH
Free Station Collection:
We will be offering a free collection from Scarborough Train Station at 18:00. This is free but must be booked in advance, either during your booking process of by contacting the office in advance.Parking:
On-site parking is available at the hotel. The car park is owned by Scarborough Borough Council and is £6 between the hours of 9am to 6pm. Outside of these hours the car park is free of charge. This can be paid for via the pay and display machine in the car park which accepts card and cash or via the Ringgo app using code 44646.Finish Time:
We aim to finish on the final day between 1pm and 3pm - the exact finish time may depend on the planned/chosen activity, group dynamic, weather conditions, whether the group chooses to grab a coffee or lunch together during/after, etc. If you’ve travelled via public transport, please ensure you book onward travel accordingly (i.e. an open return ticket), to allow for flexibility. -
We'll be staying at the Premier Inn Scarborough (North Bay) hotel, located on Burniston Road in Scarborough's North Bay. The hotel offers comfortable rooms and is conveniently situated less than a mile from Scarborough Beach and Scarborough Castle.
Accommodation Address:
Premier Inn Scarborough (North Bay)
26 Burniston Rd,
Scarborough
YO12 6PHRoom Types:
Single Rooms (en-suite bathroom) are for one participant.
Double Rooms (en-suite bathroom) sleep up to two participants booking together, in a Double bed.
Twin Rooms (en-suite bathroom) for for two people sharing and will have two single beds.
Shared Male / Female Rooms (en-suite bathroom) ideal for those happy to share with another participant. -
Included:
3 nights’ bed & breakfast accommodation.
A hearty cooked breakfast each morning, prepared by the accommodation.
A Large Outdoors host/guide to welcome you, deal with the logistics for your experience.
Guided walks on three days (Days 2, 3 & 4).
The chance to make new friends and meet like-minded people - Large Outdoors is all about making outdoor adventures sociable.
Pre-event support from the Large Outdoors team - give us a shout if there’s any advice or information you need and check out our Blog for useful articles too.
Not included:
Travel to and from the meeting location or train station collection.
Dinner on each evening - we’ll book a table at a local pub to enjoy dinner as a group and you can purchase whatever you fancy from the menu available.
Packed Lunches - for these we will stop at a local bakery and you can purchase what you wish for lunch.
Any extra (i.e. not mentioned above in ‘Included’) excursions or activities that you may partake in which incur a cost.
Alcoholic drinks - please feel free to bring something with you to enjoy at the accommodation. There are also a couple of pubs in the village for a post-walk pint or two!
Any food, drinks or goods you choose to purchase at any shops, restaurant, pubs or cafés visited.
Travel/activity insurance - we recommend having insurance to cover, at a minimum: cancellation and curtailment; medical and emergency expenses (including repatriation); personal accident; injury and death.
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Please see our Residential (Walking) Kit List.
The compulsory items are selected for your safety, which is of paramount importance to us at Large Outdoors. Each participant should have the items listed.
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What level of fitness is needed?
This trip is rated ‘Leisurely’ Plus. The longest walk will be around 11 miles at a sociable pace.Can I attend on my own?
Absolutely! In fact, the majority of our attendees are solo travellers.When should I arrive?
You are welcome to arrive from 15:00 onwards on Friday evening. Dinner will be served at the accommodation at around 19:30. If you intend to arrive after 22:00, please let us know.I’d prefer vegetarian or vegan meals - can this be arranged?
Yes, absolutely! We will always supply a vegetarian or vegan meal, but please note this must be requested well ahead of the trip - the remote location of our accommodation means we can’t pop out to buy additional ingredients. Complete the dietary section during the booking process and if your dietary needs change ahead of the trip please email the office and we’ll update your booking.I’d prefer gluten-free meals - can this be arranged?
We will provide meals using gluten-free ingredients, but due to the shared nature of the kitchen we cannot provide strictly gluten-free meals. Please let us know you’d like gluten-free ingredients ahead of time by completing the dietary section during the booking process.I am allergic to a specific ingredient - can you provide meals for me?
Due to the shared nature of the kitchen we are unable to provide meals suitable for those suffering from many allergies. Please contact the office before booking to discuss your requirements.What transport is provided during this trip?
We do not provide transportation during this trip.Can I bring my dog?
Dogs are not allowed on this trip, except for registered assistance dogs.
Bempton & Wildlife Watching
Bempton Cliffs is one of the UK’s top seabird colonies – home to over 200,000 birds during the nesting season. Puffins are the stars of the show, but you’ll also see gannets diving, razorbills nesting, and fulmars soaring.
Spring and summer bring the cliffs alive with sound and activity.
Keep your eyes on the sea too – this stretch of coast is known for sightings of dolphins and even minke whales from the cliffs.
Robin Hood’s Bay – Myths and Legends
Despite the name, there’s no evidence that Robin Hood ever visited. Some say the name comes from old ballads where Robin Hood repels a French invasion on the Yorkshire coast. Others think it may link to Norse or local traditions.
What’s certain is that the village became a notorious smuggling hub in the 18th century. Tales of secret passageways and goods passed from cellar to attic fill the local folklore.
This map is provided for guidance regarding the general location. For detailed meeting information, please refer to the 'Meeting Time & Location' section.