The Quieter Side Of Scarborough
We love Scarborough in summer.
July is the pumping heart of Scarborough. It is noisy, energetic and full of people enjoying themselves. But then something changes. For us, autumn really begins when the children go back to school. The mornings suddenly need a jumper, the evenings start drawing in and the colours around us begin their gradual change from the bright greens of summer to the warmer browns, reds and auburns of autumn.
The weather can still be beautifully warm, but Scarborough starts to feel different. The beaches empty. The queues disappear. And suddenly, space becomes the story of the day.That is why September, October and into November have become some of our favourite months for exploring Scarborough, the Yorkshire Coast and the North York Moors.
Summer is about energy.
Autumn gives you time to stop and look
When Scarborough Starts to Slow Down
There is not really a single day when somebody flicks a switch and Scarborough changes from summer into autumn. It happens gradually. One morning you head outside and realise you should probably have brought a jumper. The light looks slightly different. The evenings arrive a little earlier and places that only a few weeks previously were full of summer visitors suddenly have room to breathe.
We do not see that as Scarborough closing down after summer. Quite the opposite.For us, it opens up a completely different side of the town.
This is the time of year when you can explore without feeling that you need to rush anywhere. You can stop for a coffee because you fancy one rather than because you have planned it into the day. You can sit and watch the sea. You can walk for miles without the heat of a summer afternoon.
There is still plenty happening, but everything feels a little more relaxed. It is one of the reasons we think an
autumn break in Scarboroughcan be every bit as enjoyable as a summer stay — just for completely different reasons.
North Bay: Space, Sky and an Empty Beach
We may be slightly biased about this one. Seaside Hideaway is in Scarborough’s North Bay, and autumn reminds us just how lucky we are to have it on our doorstep. As the summer crowds disappear, North Bay suddenly becomes this enormous expanse of beach, sea and sky.
There are mornings when you can look along the beach and see remarkably few people. You might have dog walkers in the distance, someone jogging along the promenade and a handful of people simply out enjoying the fresh air. And that’s about it. You do not necessarily have to do anything.
One of our favourite places to stop is North Bay Adventure Golf There is a wide-open terrace with benches positioned so you can simply sit looking towards the sea, as well as a sheltered area when the weather is not quite as cooperative. Grab a coffee, find a seat and watch the tide. That’s enough.
Watching the waves roll in, seeing the light change across the bay and having nowhere you particularly need to be is one of those simple pleasures that is easy to overlook during the busier summer months. In autumn, it becomes part of the day.
If you are planning a quieter coastal break, North Bay is one of the reasons we think Scarborough works so well outside the main summer season. You can explore more of the area in our guide to
coastal breaks in Scarborough.
Explore Scarborough’s Old Streets at a Slower Pace
Autumn is also a wonderful time to leave the obvious routes behind and explore some of Scarborough’s history. One of our favourite walks starts almost from our front door. We head along Queen’s Parade towards Scarborough Castle before winding our way down the other side of the headland into the Old Town. This is a completely different Scarborough.
There are little cottages tucked into the hillside, narrow streets and unexpected views that suddenly open up towards South Bay. We love walking down Paradise, where the bay gradually appears below you, before making our way down Castlegate and onto Sandgate. And if you really want to explore, don’t stop when you reach the seafront. Look for The Bolts. They are easily missed, which is part of their charm. These narrow passages running behind the harbour and seafront are a surviving relic of medieval Scarborough and give you a glimpse of how tightly packed the old harbour quarter once was.
You can be surrounded by the lights and sounds of South Bay one minute and then disappear into this narrow little piece of old Scarborough the next. That is exactly the sort of exploring we love.
You do not need an itinerary. Sometimes it is simply a case of taking the street you have never walked down before and seeing where it goes. It is a side of the town that feels particularly rewarding once the pace of summer has slowed, and one of many reasons we encourage guests to explore beyond the obvious attractions. If you are looking for more ideas, our
Things to Do in Scarborough guide brings together many of the places and experiences we recommend to guests throughout the year.
Peasholm Park Becomes an Autumn Postcard
Then there is Peasholm Park. We visit the park throughout the year, but from around the middle of September something starts to change. The mature planting on the island begins to take on an auburn tinge. As the weeks progress, the colours deepen, with the greens of summer gradually giving way to the browns, reds and golds of autumn before the leaves finally disappear much later in the year.
On a still autumn day, with those colours reflected in the water, it can look like a postcard. And again, we do not necessarily go there because we need something to do. Sometimes we will take our lunch down from the hotel and simply sit beside the lake for an hour. That’s it. No attraction to tick off a list. No schedule. Just our lunch, the still water and the gentle quacking of the ducks.
When you run a hotel, particularly through the height of summer, finding a quiet hour together can be something of a luxury. Peasholm gives us somewhere we can walk to, sit down and briefly escape from everything.
Visitors can do exactly the same. Take a picnic. Wander around the lake. Explore further into the Glen if you fancy it. Or just find somewhere to sit and watch the world go by. Sometimes autumn is about giving yourself permission to do absolutely nothing for a while.
Peasholm Park is only a short walk from Seaside Hideaway, and if you have never explored it properly, we have put together a guide to
Peasholm Park in Scarborough with more about the park and what you can discover there.
Walk Around Marine Drive and Watch the Water
Another of our favourite simple walks is around Marine Drive. From North Bay you can follow the coastline around the foot of Scarborough Castle, with the sea stretching away beside you and the castle high above. There is a wonderful sense of space here, particularly once the summer crowds have disappeared.
We always keep an eye on the water too. Dolphins can sometimes be spotted off the Yorkshire Coast, while seals occasionally pop their heads above the surface. You might see absolutely nothing — that’s wildlife for you — but looking is part of the fun. What we particularly like about Marine Drive is how it connects two very different sides of Scarborough.
You can leave the quieter surroundings of North Bay, walk beneath the castle headland with little more than the sea beside you, and eventually emerge amongst the harbour and the traditional seaside atmosphere of South Bay. Turn around and walk back and the whole experience changes again as you leave the bustle behind and head towards North Bay.
It is a simple walk, but sometimes simple is exactly what you want.
There is no need to make a day of it, no timetable to follow and no particular destination you need to reach. Just put your coat on, head towards the sea and see what is happening out there. And in autumn, when the pavements are quieter and the temperature is comfortable for walking, we think it is even better.
Autumn Was Made for Walking
If there is one thing we particularly love doing at this time of year, it is walking. Not hiking. We are not pretending Scarborough is the Lake District. There are no mountains and fells waiting outside the hotel, and you do not need to arrive with specialist equipment and a plan to conquer anything. What we do have are miles and miles of fantastic trails and coastal paths, with the sea on one side and beautiful Yorkshire countryside on the other.
And for us, autumn temperatures make them incredibly enjoyable. From Seaside Hideaway, we are hard pushed to pick a direction that is not good. Jim’s favourite is probably heading south towards Filey. The coastal route has some ups and downs along the way, but this is walking rather than mountaineering. You have huge views along the Yorkshire Coast, open countryside and plenty of opportunities to simply stop and look at where you have come from. Make a day of it, walk into Filey and have a late lunch — we are rather partial to The Star — before catching the bus back to Scarborough.
Sarah would probably head in the opposite direction. North of Scarborough, the Cinder Track follows the route of the old railway line towards Whitby and gives you a completely different kind of day out. You certainly do not have to walk all the way to Whitby. For many visitors, Robin Hood’s Bay makes a great destination in its own right. Walk out, explore the village, find somewhere for something to eat or drink and use public transport for the journey back. Or, if you fancy going further, keep heading north towards Whitby and make a full day of it.
That is our kind of day out.
The point is not covering a certain number of miles or getting back in record time. It is having the time to notice what is around you. The changing countryside. The views. The villages. The occasional stop. The sea appearing through the landscape and those moments when you turn around and realise just how far along the coast you can see.
There are plenty of other choices too. The Cleveland Way runs along this stretch of the Yorkshire Coast, giving you the freedom to choose a route that suits the sort of day you want rather than feeling you have to complete a huge distance.
We have put together more ideas on our Walking in Scarborough page, while our guide to the best coastal walks around Scarborough
looks more closely at some of the routes you can explore. For us, autumn makes walking part of the holiday rather than simply a way of getting somewhere. Cooler air, quieter paths and miles of coast ahead of you — sometimes you just have to pick a direction and start walking.
Sometimes Lunch Is the Destination
Food feels different in autumn too. During the summer there always seems to be something else to do. Another attraction, another event, another walk or another sunny evening to make the most of. In autumn, you can slow things down. Sometimes the food becomes the moment.
A café is not somewhere you rush into before heading off to the next thing. You can sit for another coffee. A country pub lunch can become the reason for the walk rather than simply somewhere to refuel along the way. Sunday lunches suddenly feel exactly right again, and there is something rather lovely about finding a deli or a little café, ordering something good and deciding that you are quite happy sitting there for a while. One of the longer walks we enjoy from Scarborough heads north towards Hayburn Wyke. A stop at the Hayburn Wyke Inn for lunch gives the day a natural destination before making your way back along the coast. But you certainly do not need to walk miles to justify lunch.
Part of the pleasure of exploring Scarborough and the Yorkshire Coast at this time of year is simply having the time to stop somewhere because it looks inviting. Have the coffee. Order the cake. Find a country pub for lunch. Take your time over Sunday dinner.
There is no rush.
We think that slower approach is one of the pleasures of an autumn break, and it is something we explore a little more in our guide to
foodie breaks in Scarborough. In summer, food can sometimes fit around the day. In autumn, it can become one of the best parts of it.
And What if the Weather Turns?
We need to talk about the weather. Because this is the Yorkshire Coast. And this is autumn. We could pretend that every autumn day in Scarborough brings blue skies, perfectly still seas and gentle sunshine. It doesn’t. And actually, we wouldn’t want it to.
Some of our favourite days beside the sea are when the wild autumn weather rolls in and North Bay completely changes character. There is something extraordinary about watching the power of the sea when the weather turns. The waves build, spray fills the air and the coastline that looked calm and peaceful the day before suddenly becomes dramatic and full of energy.
For us, watching the autumn storms is an attraction in its own right. Put a coat on and go for an invigorating walk. Feel the wind, watch the waves and enjoy the sheer power of the sea. Then comes the other good bit — finding somewhere warm. Two places we enjoy in North Bay are Taylor’s Bar and Saltwater. Both have first-floor views towards the sea, so after a blustery walk you can sit inside with a coffee and carry on watching the waves crashing in outside.
There is something wonderfully satisfying about being warm on one side of the glass while the Yorkshire Coast is putting on a show on the other. And we think those days can be every bit as memorable as sitting beside the beach beneath a blue summer sky. It is simply a different coast. That is the point. Autumn does not give you a lesser version of summer. It gives you experiences that summer cannot.
We have written more about this side of the season in our guide to autumn storms in Scarborough, including why we think the Yorkshire Coast can be at its most spectacular when the weather gets a little wild.
The Evenings Belong to Autumn Too
Earlier sunsets change the rhythm of the day too.
In summer, there can be a feeling that you should keep going while there is still daylight. In autumn, we think it becomes much easier to say, “That was a great day,” and simply enjoy the evening. You can have a proper walk, explore the coast, stop somewhere for lunch and return without feeling that you ought to squeeze another three hours of sightseeing into the day.
There is still plenty happening around Scarborough if you do want to head back out. Places such as the Stephen Joseph Theatre and Scarborough Spa have programmes that continue well beyond the main summer season, giving you the option of a show, live music or an evening out after a day exploring the coast. Or you can simply call it a day.
One of the things we particularly enjoy about autumn at Seaside Hideaway is seeing guests return from wherever they have been and settle into the bar. Stories start to get swapped.
Someone has walked somewhere we had forgotten about. Someone else has spotted a seal. Another couple have discovered a café or pub they think we absolutely must try. Sometimes guests come back with recommendations for us rather than the other way around.
Then there is a drink in the bar, a home-cooked evening meal and nowhere else you particularly need to be. After a day of fresh air and walking, there is something rather lovely about shutting the door on the autumn evening outside, sitting down with something good to eat and talking about where you have been. That slower end to the day is every bit as much a part of an autumn break as the places you visit.
Why We’d Choose October
Ask us whether we prefer July or October and it is almost an impossible question to answer, because they are completely different versions of the place we love.
July is Scarborough’s pumping heart.
There is noise, energy and excitement. The beaches are busy, the town is alive and thousands of people are here having fun. There are concerts, long summer evenings and that unmistakable feeling of being in a seaside town at the height of the season. We love it.
But October is Scarborough’s thinking head.
It is space. It is time. It is long walks, fresh air and the cool breeze of autumn running through. It is putting a jumper on in the morning and heading out without necessarily having the whole day planned. It is watching the leaves changing in Peasholm Park and seeing North Bay stretch out almost empty in front of you. It is wandering through the Old Town without any particular destination and discovering a little street or view you have somehow never noticed before. It is walking south towards Filey or north towards Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby because the temperature is just right for it. It is sitting with a coffee watching enormous waves crashing into the Yorkshire Coast and realising that the wild weather can be every bit as spectacular as the blue skies.
It is heading out across the North York Moors with no particular plan and stopping somewhere simply because it catches your eye. And it is coming back at the end of the day, settling into the bar at Seaside Hideaway over a home-cooked meal and a drink, and sharing stories about where you have been.
Neither season is better than the other. They are simply different. Summer gives you the energy and excitement that Scarborough has been famous for generations. But autumn gives you the space and time to discover another side of it.
And perhaps that is why, once the schools go back, the mornings need a jumper and the evenings begin to draw in, we find ourselves looking forward to autumn every year.