How to Spend The Best Weekend in Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington
Our guide to the perfect weekend on Yorkshire's coastline
What to See and Do
A popular coastal resort for centuries, there’s lots to do in Scarborough, from the famous spa with its rolling programme of family entertainment, to the many parks and gardens and of course, the wide sandy beaches of the North and South Bays. Between the two bays is a working inner harbour with a small fishing fleet landing local lobster, and an outer harbour for pleasure boats and yachts. After a busy day at the beach (North, South, or both if you’re feeling adventurous) a handy cliff lift provides easy access to the town centre (Scarborough once had five, but now has two working lifts).
The kids will love Scarborough’s Fair Collection (open Wednesday to Saturday) with fully-restored vintage rides, steam engines and a collection of classic cars and vintage motorbikes. For history buffs the ruins of Scarborough Castle, a former medieval fortress, are a must-visit. Once one of the greatest fortresses in England there’s so much history to explore on this rocky promontory jutting out into the North Sea. Another major attraction is the Grade-II listed Rotunda Museum. One of the world’s first purpose-built museums, it has a fascinating Georgian gallery featuring a frieze which shows the geology of the local coastline and it’s where you’ll find a collection of the amazing fossils found along this stretch of Yorkshire’s Dinosaur coast. Woodend Gallery (once the home of the literary Sitwell clan) is now a creative hub, and Scarborough Art Gallery is also worth visiting. 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 that starts at the Bates Motel and ends with a dinosaur attack. Scarborough’s indoor market is where you’ll find great local produce, and in the Market Vaults, plenty of artisan crafts and independent shops. Whatever the weather, Scarborough has an entertaining line-up of theatre shows and big-name gigs to choose from.
In between Scarborough and neighbouring Filey, Cayton Bay is perhaps the prettiest beach on this stretch of coast. The wide sweeping and dog-friendly beach is perfect for swimming, surfing, paddle boarding and fossil hunting in the many rocky pools, and the steep walk down and back up keeps it relatively quiet.
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 busy 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.
To the south of Filey, nature lovers shouldn’t miss Bempton Cliffs. Home to one of the UK’s top wildlife spectacles, around half a million seabirds gather here between March and August to raise their family on the towering chalk cliffs. Here puffins, gannets, kittiwakes and guillemots live life on the edge. But it’s not all about the cliffs. Corn buntings, skylarks and linnets breed in the grassland and scrub on the land side, while kestrel and barn owls love to hunt here.
In Bridlington, visitors can enjoy the amusement arcades on North Beach. Bridlington’s South Beach is arguably the best on Yorkshire’s coast; wide and flat, there are beach volleyball nets here and the sand is regularly machine-cleaned. Bridlington’s charming old town is worth a visit, while for history buffs the pre-Roman harbour and Bridlington Priory are must-visits.
Where to Eat
Scarborough’s Eat Me Cafe & Social provides an eclectic mix of British and Asian food; Lookout on the Pier is a relaxed restaurant on West Pier, Lezzet serves great Mediterranean-inspired dishes, and the Lifeboat Fish Bar is where to go for your fish and chips. Wrea Head’s 1871 restaurant is where to head for a real treat though.
In Filey, The Boat Shed (open Wednesday to Sunday) is a cosy hangout for pizza and cocktails, The Lighthouse is where to find traditional afternoon tea, and for seafood head to Charlottes of Filey.
Aloha is a family owned steak house and grill overlooking Bridlington’s South Beach, and family-run Gabbys is the place for fish and chips in the old town. Just south of Bridlington, at Fraisthorpe, The Cow Shed is a dog-friendly café and takeaway serving home-cooked food and has a great outdoor seating area with views over Bridlington Bay.
Where to Stay
Escaping the hustle and bustle of the seaside town, retreat to Ox Pasture Hall Hotel & Spa, just two miles from Scarborough but set in 17 acres of beautiful grounds. If you want to stay in the heart of the town, Bike & Boot is a chilled out, dog- and family-friendly hotel. For something a little different, try The Windmill, a unique bed and breakfast inside Scarborough’s last remaining windmill built more than 230 years ago and less than five minutes’ walk from the town centre. If you prefer to leave the coast behind at the end of the day and stay a little further inland, 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 (located in the mansion and carriage house) and a great restaurant too. The nearby Plough at Scalby is also a good choice – this popular pub restaurant has 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. In Bridlington, The Lobster Pot has a choice of rooms and a pub-restaurant on site.
As you can image there are lots of self-catering options all along the coast here. The Waterfront Apartment in Scarborough sleeps four, is just a few minutes walk from the town’s attractions and has a large balcony overlooking the harbour. In Filey, The Waves is an elegant apartment directly on the seafront and Crab Pot Guest House is a welcoming B&B in Flamborough, while in Bridlington, South Lodge Guest House is a substantial property with five bedrooms and bathrooms, just steps from South Beach.
