Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches

The Brits seem to really like Top 10 Lists. It also seems that they love to walk.  I, for one, am glad they do. It means that I could find an article on  Britain’s Top 10 Coastal Walks! From three miles to 15 miles “Britain’s Top 10 Coastal Walks” by Martin Wainwright (The Guardian), takes you to rocky shores, past windmills and along stunning white cliffs. Of course, there is more than one castle to be found along these routes, too. Spectacular coastal scenery is a given.  “Britain’s Top Ten Coastal Walks” are  very small portions of a very large system of British trails. I’m ready to strap on my backpack and tie up my sturdy walking boots. Here we go!

1) Pittenweem to Elie, Fife: This 6 mile walk is just a portion of the larger 93 mile Fife Coastal Path, part of Scotland’s Great Trails. (Each of Scotland’s Great Trails, formerly known as Long Distance Trails, is at least 25 miles long.) Featured on this Top Ten Coastal Walk are two ruined castles, a restored windmill and “good rockpools.”

Dunstanburgh Castle (Photo by Elinnea/Wikimedia Commons)

2) Craster to Dunstanburgh, Northumberland: Superb sea-cliffs are featured on the way from Craster to Dunstanburgh, as well as the ruins of Dunstanburgh castle. Interesting plants, geology and birds can all be enjoyed along the route of this six mile circuit walk.

3) Boggle Hole to Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire: This coastal walk will take you three miles one way. “This is one of the UK’s premier ‘fossil coasts’ and splitting loose chunks of rock will often reveal an ammonite.” That’s quite a beach treasure.

4) Burnham Overy Staithe to Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk: On this eight mile hike you’ll find Holkham beach. “The big beach is almost seven miles of sand with sea lavender, dark green fritillary butterflies, peregrine falcons and just inland are the glories of Holkham Hall.”

Beachy Head (Attribution: Donar Reiskoffer/Wikimedia Commons)

5) Seven Sisters and Beachy Head, East Sussex: In my humble opinion, this eight mile walk will take you through some of the most gorgeous coastline in the world.  This is white cliff country.  With Seven Sisters, Beachy Head, and lighthouses to boot… It’s all good!

6) Durdle Door & White Nothe circular, Dorset: Seven miles, “This walk starts and finishes at Lulworth Cove which is well-organized for transport and tourism, with cafes and a castle when you’ve finished with the coast.”

7) Hartland Quay to Hartland Point, Devon: “Very fine rocky shores are the target on this wild stretch of coast, where vile weather can actually make the whole experience more romantic.” 6 miles round trip.

Barafundle Beach, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK (Photo by James Knight/Wikimedia Commons)

8) Stackpole Head, Pembrokeshire: “One of the finest stretches of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, this takes in spectacular eroded limestone cliffs and the peaceful loveliness of Barafundle Bay.” Also 6 miles round trip.

9) Hilbre Island, Wirral:  If you take this three mile circular walk on the north west coast of England, paying attention to tidal times is absolutely essential if you don’t care to be stranded on the island.

10) Elgol to Loch Coruisk, Isle of Skye: This is the fifteen miler, thirty if you want to complete the round trip on this Scottish walk. “This is a long walk in the heart of the Cuillin mountains, craggy scenery of great grandeur surrounding a lonely sea loch.”

Check out further details and links in “Britain’s Top 10 Coastal Walks” at TheGuardian.com.

“Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die!
Oh, may I always laugh and sing,
Beneath God’s clear blue sky!” (Lyrics: The Happy Wanderer)