How to Spend The Best Weekend in Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington
Three very different seaside resorts, each with bucket-loads of character
What to See and Do
A popular coastal resort for centuries, there’s so much to do in Scarborough, from the many parks and gardens and the typical seaside attractions, to the wide sandy beaches of the North and South Bays. Between the two bays is a working inner harbour where a small fishing fleet land local lobster, and an outer harbour for pleasure boats and yachts. After a busy day at the beach a handy cliff lift provides easy access to the town centre. Scarborough’s two famous bays are split by a headland which is home to thousands of seabirds watched over by the prominent ruins of the 12th-century Scarborough Castle. Once one of the greatest medieval fortresses in England, it’s a must visit.
The Grade-II listed Rotunda Museum is one of the world’s first purpose-built museums, opened in 1829, this curved building has a fascinating Georgian gallery featuring a frieze which shows the geology of the local coastline, and kids will love the collection of amazing fossils all found along this stretch of Yorkshire’s Dinosaur Coast. Overlooking Valley Gardens, the Woodend Gallery (once the home of the literary Sitwell clan) is now a creative hub with lots of exhibitions and special tours, and Scarborough Art Gallery in Crescent Gardens, has a permanent collection of fine art and hosts regular exhibitions. Wander through South Cliff Italian Gardens and Peasholm Park to enjoy an escape from the beachside bustle, and if the weather is iffy, head to the Terror Tower, a haunted house and interactive horror adventure. Scarborough’s indoor market is where you’ll find great local produce and, in the Market Vaults there are three floors of independent shops and artisan craft stalls.
Whatever the weather, Scarborough has an entertaining line-up of theatre shows and big name gigs to choose from. If the weather is set fair, Scarborough Open Air Theatre attracts a plethora of stars – including Tom Jones and Bastille this summer. If it’s not, the kids will love Sealife, and Scarborough’s Fair Collection (open Wednesday to Saturday) with fully-restored vintage rides, showman’s engines and a collection of classic cars and vintage motorbikes. Scarborough Spa is a Grade II-listed building in South Bay and is now an events venue, and the 600-seat Victorian theatre is home to summer season shows. Waterbabies will love the Alpamare water park, which calls itself the ‘biggest, fastest, funniest, wettest, waviest and warmest waterpark’! Scarborough’s famous Grand Hotel on the seafront was the largest hotel in Europe and one of the largest in the world when it was built in 1867. The building is designed around the theme of time: four towers to represent the seasons, 12 floors for the months of the year, 52 chimneys symbolise the weeks, and originally there were 365 bedrooms, one for each day of the year.
In between Scarborough and neighbouring Filey, Cayton Bay is a sweeping, dog-friendly beach, bookended by cliffs, perfect for swimming, surfing, paddle boarding and fossil hunting in the many rocky pools.
Just to the south, the former fishing village of Filey was once seen as the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of its bigger, busier neighbour, Scarborough. Fishing boats still land their catch here and the five-mile stretch of sand means the town is still popular as a seaside resort with a historic promenade, colourful beach huts, traditional bathing machines and Filey Brigg, the promontory that extends out into the sea offering panoramic views of the coast. Set back from the town centre is Filey Dams Nature Reserve, a magnet for migratory birds and home to lots of different insects, amphibians, small mammals and plants.
South of Filey, nature lovers shouldn’t miss RSPB Bempton Cliffs. It’s home to one of the UK’s top wildlife spectacles, where around half a million seabirds gather between March and August to nest on the towering chalk cliffs. Here puffins, gannets, kittiwakes and guillemots live life on the edge. The five safe, clifftop viewpoints give spectacular views of the nesting birds and the dramatic coastline – but it’s not all about the cliffs. In spring and summer corn buntings, skylarks and linnets breed in the grassland and scrub on the land side, while kestrel and barn owls love to hunt here. RSPB Seabird Cruises sail regularly from Bridlington Harbour in summer, for an incredible experience as seabirds swoop and soar all around.
South again, North Landing Beach is a sheltered cove for swimming, and on Flamborough Head is the famous lighthouse. A lighthouse was first built here in 1669, but never lit. The current one dates back to 1806 and still acts as a waypoint for ships heading into Scarborough and Bridlington. It is a popular attraction but sadly lighthouse tours are currently suspended.
In Bridlington, visitors can enjoy the fun fair on the dog-friendly North Beach, take a pleasure boat from the harbour and enjoy watersports on South Beach, wide and flat, there are beach volleyball nets here and the sand is regularly machine-cleaned. Bridlington’s charming old town, where they filmed Dad’s Army, is worth a visit too, with plenty of independent shops and galleries.
Where to Eat
On Scarborough’s West Pier, Lookout on the Pier serves great seafood, neighbourhood bistro Lezzet serves great Mediterranean-inspired dishes, Embers is for everything cooked over fire, The Farrier is a stylish pub serving good food and the Lifeboat Fish Bar is where to go for freshly-cooked fish and chips. A few miles inland in Scalby, find delicious fine dining at Wrea Head’s 1881 restaurant – perfect for a real treat. In Filey, The Boat Shed (open Wednesday to Sunday) is a hangout for pizza and cocktails, The Lighthouse is where to find a traditional afternoon tea, and for seafood head to The Glasshouse at Charlottes of Filey. In Bempton, The White Horse is a popular pub serving cask ales and British classics, and in Flamborough The Seabirds Inn is a great lunch spot. Overlooking Bridlington’s South Beach, Aloha is a popular family-owned steak house and grill, or try The Old Forge in Sewerby serving all the classics alongside its sea views.
Where to Stay
If you want to stay in the heart of Scarborough, The Weston and Castle by The Sea are both family-friendly, whilst Ashville Grange is a fabulous home-from-home sleeping 10. For something a little different, try The Windmill. Scarborough’s last remaining windmill was built more than 230 years ago, and now offers self-catering accommodation and is less than five minutes’ walk from the town centre. If you prefer to leave the coast behind at the end of the day, Wrea Head Hall has peace and luxury in spades. It might feel like a million miles from busy Scarborough (in a very good way) but it’s just a few minutes’ drive from the sea, plus there are individually-decorated bedrooms to choose from (and a great restaurant too). The nearby Plough at Scalby is also a good choice, with its popular pub restaurant and self-catering cottages opposite. In Filey, the clifftop White Lodge Hotel has panoramic views of Filey Bay below, whilst Wrangham House is a charming, Grade II-listed Georgian hotel in Hunmanby.
