SEAHOUSES

I have spent two very pleasant holidays in Seahouses over the last few years, both times staying in the fishermen’s quarter adjacent to the harbour, with the excellent Swallow fishmongers tantalisingly close at hand. This small resort is probably best known as a departure point for the Farne Islands, with boat-owners competing for business from their kiosks by the harbourside – of which more in the next post. The harbour is always bustling, with the human activity interspersed with a large presence of jaunty eider ducks bobbing on the surface of the water. I love old harbourside inns with lots of nautical decor and memorabilia, and The Olde Ship Inn in Seahouses ticks all the boxes. Unfortunately, a lot of other people feel the same way, and the small front bar can get very crowded on Friday and Saturday nights.

One of the best things about Seahouses is the wonderful view up the coast. As you cast your gaze over the seemingly never-ending expanse of sandy beach heading northwards, your eye cannot help but be drawn to the magnificent sight of Bamburgh Castle, which dominates this stretch of coast. On a clear day, it is also possible to make out the romantic outline of the more petite Lindisfarne in the distance. The beach just begs to be walked along, and with Bamburgh just two miles away it makes a nice day out to make the walk to Bamburgh, have lunch in one of its excellent pubs and walk back again. For golfers, there is a Golf Club at the southern edge of the resort.

Map of the area.

Seahouses Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 1930247. Photo by Alexander P Kapp, via Wikimedia Commons.