Discover

Port na Ba beach is an unspoilt white sandy beach on the north western coastline of Mull with views out to the Isle of Rum. The beach translates to ‘Beach of the Cattle’ and this is because this is where cattle from Tiree and Coll swam ashore en route to the mainland markets. No facilities and the closest village is Croig some 2km walk away.

Cullercoats sits between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. The Cullercoats beach is a semi-circular sandy beach enclosed by small piers with cliffs and caves. Cullercoats is a popular destination for families and day-trippers. The name is thought to derive from Dove (or Culver) Cotes. The south of the bay has a launching area for local fishing boats and leisure craft.

Wavehunters offers kit hire, surfing and SUP lessons on Polzeath beach.

Hilbre Island Lighthouse provides a port land mark for the Hilbre swash in the River Dee estuary. This small automatic lighthouse came under the full jurisdiction of Trinity House in 1973, before this it was operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Authority.

Holywell Bay beach is a good mixture of sand, streams, rockpools and dunes. A popular beach with bodyboarders and surfers although undercurrents can be a problem on Holywell Bay beach. Lifeguards in the summer, toilets, shop, pub, cafe and entertainment park in the village.

The Sea Pool at Bude was created in the 1930s to provide a haven for safe swimming. The pool is around 91m long and 45m wide. The sea-water pool sits under the cliffs on the north Cornwall coast and is topped up twice a day by the waves of the Atlantic.

Kingston Lacy Country mansion with important collections, set in formal gardens and extensive parkland – children’s adventure playground and Iron Age hill fort, Badbury Rings. The land was gifted to Sir Ralph Bankes by Charles II in the 1660s in appreciation of his loyalty to the Royalist cause.  The house you see today went under extensive change in the 1830s by the architect Sir Charles Barry, who architected the Houses of Parliament. The interiors include works by Rubens, Titian and Velazquez whilst the grounds have many marked trails.

Castle Garth consists of the Castle Keep and it 13th-century gatehouse the Black Gate, both of which were once part of a much larger fortress.

The Basilica of St Gregory the Great at Downside, commonly known as Downside Abbey, is a Catholic Benedictine monastery and the Senior House of the English Benedictine Congregation. One of its main apostolates is a school for children aged nine to eighteen. Its graduates are known as Old Gregorians.

Little Haven beach is a small cove at high tide but at low tide you can walk round to the bigger Broad Haven Bay. Little Haven itself is an old fishing village which still offers buckets of charm and character. Facilities include a cafe and selection of pubs with parking a short walk back from the beach.

The Laphroaig Distillery was founded in 1815. The distillery offers a range of tours and tasting experiences throughout the year.

Dogs Bay beach is a west facing horseshoe shaped white sandy beach. The beach is roughly 1 mile long and the whiteness of the sand comes from very fine seashells. You get some protection from the headland that makes Dogs Bay an excellent swimming beach. Dogs Bay beach sits right beside Gurteen Bay Beach only seperated by a small strip of marram grass dunes.