Northumbrian coast

[Grandadwasthatyou]

Ok, so I have one afternoon ( approx 6 hours anyway ) to show off the beauty of the Northumbrian coastline to visiting family. What would you suggest?
I thought park up at Craster, visit the kipper shop ( is it worth a visit, can you see how they smoke them etc?) and then walk to Dunstanburgh Castle.

Or take the coastal route up to Bamburgh Castle and walk along the beach there. Any suggestions for a nice pub lunch, coffee and cake etc.

There are so many beautiful beaches, villages etc I am spoilt for choice but really want to show them the best that Northumberland can offer.

The Craster plan is a good one but I'd add in lunch or dinner at the Jolly fisherman pub which has nice sea and castle views. You can walk to dunstanburgh from Craster you just need to decide if you go pre lunch and work up an appetite or post lunch to walk off the sticky toffee pudding.

Another nice pub is the ship Inn at low Newton by the sea. Right on the beach, grab a pint and crab sandwiches and enjoy the view.

It was quite a long time ago but I seem to recollect an excellent crab sandwich at a pub in Craster before walking to dunstanburgh.

(16 years... I've just had a lovely memory of that walk, DD was 6 and we sang 'if you're happy and you know it most of the way )

Hard to choose between that and bamburgh.

I'd try to fit in Newton if you could..

Would you have time to go across to Lindisfarne (tides permitting)?

That walk from Craster is one of my favs. Last time I was there, there was a van selling kippers in baps. Amazing!

Embleton Bay is stunning imho

Potted Lobster for lunch at Bamburgh. Walk along the beach taking in views of the castle and Farne Islands. Visit to Grace Darling monument.

@friskybivalves ... lovely idea but unfortunately the tides that day mean we would have to stay on Lindisfarne between noon and 1830 and there's not that much to do for over 6 hours.

Gorgeous area, absolutely beautiful. Just don't encourage them to go paddling in the sea, I've never experienced anything so cold in my life

I’m going to controversially suggest walking south from Craster to Sugar Sands and back via Howick Hall, hopefully open now so you can stop in the Howick Hall tea room for tea and cake and watch red squirrels on the feeding stations outside the windows.

The walk to Dunstanburgh has the view of the castle which is exciting but the walk itself is quite samey unless you go on to Embleton. The walk south doesn’t have a castle but the shoreline is more interesting.

Here’s a description of the walk www.andrewswalks.co.uk/craster.html

They started in a different place but it’s circular so the route is the same.

ooo that looks lovely! like the look of the bathing house, Sugar sands (why is it called that?) and Howick hall gardens.

Bathing house sadly not a public building, it's a holiday let now. But still a nice feature in the walk.

There is a pub at Lower Newton by the Sea (if it's still there?) that did brilliant food, lobster straight out of the sea. Very pretty place to sit and have lunch.

Oh yes that is an idyllic spot. Might have to see if the pub is doing food!

www.shipinnnewton.co.uk/

The walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh is stunning and The Jolly Fisherman is lovely.

We only found Craster to Dunstanburgh a good walk because we could scramble down to the little coves/beaches between the rocks. If people in your group are not physically up to that then the walk is a bit boring. I think there is plenty to do on Lindisfarne for 6 hours if you enjoy a slower pace of life. Stop and take in the views, wander around the kilns, stop kn the beach and build some stone towers ro go along with the rest of them. Have a leisurely lunch. Or I would go to Bamburgh.

Another left-field one ... it's not on the coast!

sobt.co.uk/walk-kyloe-hills/

But if it's a clear day you get an amazing view of the sweep of the coast with three castles. If you are driving you could combine this walk with a shorter visit to Bamburgh for food, up close views of the castle and a walk on the beach.

Other walks…Bamburgh to Budle Bay, out over the golf course with views to Holy Island, back same way or along the roadside path.

www.outdooractive.com/mobile/en/route/hiking-route/budle-bay-to-bamburgh-castle-n-thumberland/131609960/

As many have already said the Craster-Dunstanborough walk is stunning. The day we did it we went to Low Newton after (didn't go in the pub but looked nice right on beach) then finished up on Bamburgh for a walk along the beach by the castle.

@colouringindoors It's called Sugar Sands because the sand looks like sugar - lovely white sand beach and on a good day, it looks like the Caribbean.