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Best coastal walks in the UK

Our top 10 coastal walks in the UK explore the four corners of this island nation. They range from far-flung Scottish isles with Viking history, to Cornwall’s fishing villages and scalloped surf bays, to the dune-swept Northumberland coast. Keep reading to discover some of the best coastal walks in the UK.

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Best coastal walks in the UK

Our top 10 UK coastal walks serve up spectacular scenery while keeping your rambles responsible. Trails like the South West Coast Path, Wales Coast Path and Northumberland Coast Path offer long-distance inspiration for car-free exploration, connecting you to fishing villages and market towns via ferries, scenic buses and antique railways. The businesses you stop by are as much a part of their seaside locale as the seagulls trying to steal your chips, whether that’s a seafood truck stocked by local lobster boats or clifftop hotels that have been in the family for years. We recommend walking in spring and autumn to extend the strolling season, and to see these fragile, ever-changing coastal areas when others seem to forget them.

Read on for 10 of our best coastal walks in the UK.

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1. Orkney, Scotland

Our small group tour is headed up by guides who’ll lead you through Orcadian history, culture, wildlife and cuisine – all accompanied by a conch-shell soundtrack of crashing waves and swishing tides that are part and parcel of these wild north-easterly isles. Hike to the cacophonous seabird colony at Marwick Head, explore some of Europe’s best-preserved Neolithic stone circles, and rest up at a family-run hotel by the one-time Viking harbour of Scapa Flow.

Our top trip: Orkney Isles small group walking holiday
See all our trips: Scotland walking holidays
Read more: Orkney walking travel guide

2. Outer Hebrides & Isle of Skye, Scotland

The Scottish songbook is filled with odes to the sea; you’ll be writing your own after a walk around the wild isles of the Hebrides. You’ll hike upon sheer cliffs, wander empty beaches, follow remote trails to lighthouses, and marvel at rock formations like the Quiraing and Old Man of Storr. All those viewpoints are perfect pads for learning about the successful reintroduction of the white-tailed eagle. You can’t miss it; it’s fondly nicknamed the ‘flying barn door’. Or even better in Gaelic: iolaire sùil na grèineas– the eagle with the sunlit eye. Go in summer, and you can cast your own sunlit eye over scenes of wide, wildflower-strewn seaside machairs.

Our top trip: Outer Hebrides and Isle of Skye walking holiday
See all our trips: Scotland walking holidays
Read more: Hebrides travel guide

3. Guernsey, Channel Islands

The best way to explore Guernsey is by foot; handily, most of the footpaths follow its lovely coastline. Coastal trails wrap around gorse-tangled clifftops, switchback shorelines, hulking WWII bunkers and megalithic tombs. Green lanes crisscross the countryside, leading you between harbours, including island capital St Peter Port, where our holidays pitch up in a hotel next to Victor Hugo’s house museum. Nothing miserable about these walks, though – quite the opposite.

Our top trip: Guernsey walking holiday
See all our trips: Channel Islands holidays
Read more: Channel Islands highlights

4. Northumberland Coast Path, England

You can easily while away a week hiking Northumbrian icons – the Pilgrim’s Path to Lindisfarne, sandy beaches bookended by crumbling castles, fishing villages famous for their smoked kippers, and even Hadrian’s Wall. Coastal walking holidays here can see staying somewhere different every evening, your luggage conveniently transferred ahead, so that you can see as much of this glorious coastline as possible.

Our top trips: Northumberland Coast walking holiday
See all our trips: England walking holidays
Read more: England walking travel guide

5. Norfolk Coast Path, England

Fancy some easy walking? Go for the flat coast of Norfolk, where the highest climb is up the stairs to the cosy bedroom in your guest house. Our top Norfolk walking holiday is tailored to you, so you can follow any part of the 130km Norfolk Coast Path you choose. Beloved beaches, seaside towns and heritage railways dot the route too – as well as the famous seal colony at Blakeney National Nature Reserve. With well-marked ways, luggage transfers, and full support, Norfolk is a great pick for newbies to self guided hiking.

Our top trip: Norfolk Coast Path walking holiday
See all our trips: England walking holidays
Read more: England walking travel guide

6. Causeway Coast Way, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast Way stretches over 50km from Portrush to Ballycastle – and our self guided holiday walks it all. As for highlights, the clue’s in the name: the Giant’s Causeway is the undeniable star, with clifftop hikes offering lesser-seen angles of the tessellated rocks below. The ocean-cracked rock formations continue throughout – cross the rope bridge to Carrick-a-Rede Island and catch the ferry to Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland’s topmost point. Our travellers note the warm welcome: whether from your accommodation hosts or dog walkers and farmers you meet along the way.

Our top trip: Northern Ireland walking holiday
See all our trips: Northern Ireland walking holidays
Read more: Northern Ireland walking travel guide

7. Ceredigion & Pembrokeshire Coast Paths, Wales

It’s all high drama in West Wales, thanks to the double whammy of the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Coast Paths. Our guided small group holiday is based at the promisingly named Cliff Hotel in Gwbert for instant access to rippling clifftop trails and secluded bays, where there’s always a chance to spot seals and dolphins on the horizon – and even from your room. Highlights include the sky-high cliffs from Cwmtydu to Aberporth, the quiet, wild beauty of Cemaes Head, and the salt-licked moorland, woodland and ancient market towns in between.

Our top trip: West Wales coast walking tour
See all our trips: Wales walking holidays
Read more: Wales walking travel guide

8. Devon Coast

The area around Sidmouth in Devon boasts some of the loveliest coastline in England. Here you can enjoy sections on the Jurassic Coast, the South West Coast Path and the East Devon Way, with a host of circular walks available. You can also spend a little time at one of Devon’s most charming attractions, a donkey sanctuary. Watch out for wild beavers on the, er, River Otter, and follow the golden rule – never pass a tea room without popping in.

Our top trip: Sidmouth and the Devon Coast walking holiday
See all our trips: England walking holidays
Read more: Devon travel guide

9. South West Coast Path, Cornwall

Ever fancied walking around King Arthur’s storm-crashed castle? How about some of the prettiest fishing ports in Europe or a mysterious, saintly path? You’ll discover a spectacular stretch of the South West Coast Path on our 108km self guided walking holiday from Bude to Newquay, taking in Boscastle, Tintagel, Port Isaac and Padstow. Daily luggage transfers and detailed route guides ensure a pace that suits you, along with recommendations for the best pubs and pasties in town.

Our top trip: South West Coast Path walking holiday
See all our trips: Cornwall holidays
Read more: South West Coast Path travel guide

10. Jersey, Channel Islands

Explore the original Jersey shore on our walking holiday that completes the island in six days of easy and moderate hikes. The terrain is ever-changing – from windswept cliffs and Atlantic-cut bays to tucked-away coves and beaches. As this is self guided, there are plenty of chances to sit and admire the views across the Channel Islands and to France – perhaps with a glass of island rosé, gin or orchard cider in hand. Jersey is the UK’s sunniest spot – stellar for spring and autumn strolls.

Our top trip: Jersey self guided walking holiday
See all our trips: Jersey holidays
Read more: Jersey walking holidays guide