Coastal Curiosities of Britain

Sea cliffs, extreme tides, eccentrics and centuries of defensive history ensure the long and varied coast of Britain is stocked with seaside suprises.

147 Places

Stonehaven, Scotland

Dunnottar Castle

The ruins of this gorgeous clifftop castle look like something from a fantasy novel.

rumbelievable

Added by rumbelievable

Maunsell Army Sea Forts

Surreal riveted sea forts once protected the Kent shores from German attack.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Marazion, England

St Michael's Mount

A island reachable by a causeway at low tide is possibly one of the earliest Western European locations to be identified in text.

Newquay, England

The Island, Newquay

Sometimes an island, sometimes a rocky outcropping connected to the world by a tiny suspension bridge.

Added by Facebook645044639

Penzance, England

Minack Theatre

A open air theatre built on a cliff by an eccentric British woman.

East Sussex, England

Beachy Head

England's most notorious suicide spot.

stanestane

Added by stanestane

Sandwick, Scotland

Skara Brae

Amazing and mysterious Neolithic settlement on Scotland's Orkney Islands.

Lyme Regis, England

The Glowing Clams of Great Britain

A midnight snack that lights up the night.

Dylan

Whitby, England

Ruins of Whitby Abbey

The gloomy ruins that inspired Bram Stoker to bring Dracula to life.

Added by dlukenelson

Seaview, England

No Man's Land

This foolish Victorian sea fort was converted to a deluxe hotel.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

North Berwick, Scotland

Ruins of Tantallon Castle

The one-time stronghold of the noble Douglas family, now home to ghost sightings and nesting birds.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Tintagel, England

Tintagel Castle

A fantastic castle rumored to be the birthplace of King Arthur.

Added by Vordenius

Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland

Eilean Donan

The most iconic structure in Scotland has been home to bishops, colonels, and Sean Connery characters.

Hannah Frishberg

Added by Hannah Frishberg

Isle of Skye, Scotland

Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls

Ancient cliffs resembling a kilt on Scotland’s second-largest island emit an entrancing sound.

Clinton

Added by Clinton

Llangennith, Wales

Worm's Head Tidal Island

A rocky sea serpent hides caves, blowholes, and a spectacular natural bridge.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Portmeirion Village

A miniature Italianate fantasy village on the coast of Wales and the set of ITC classic "The Prisoner."

Added by lercio

Dunwich, England

The Lost Town of Dunwich

A village on the east coast of England that has almost completely eroded into the North Sea.

Pembroke, Wales

St. Govan's Chapel

A hermit's tiny cell built into the cliffside that saved him in South Pembrokeshire.

Added by jemm501

Isle of Iona, Scotland

Iona Abbey

A small island abbey is the final resting place of many medieval Scottish monarchs, including the real Macbeth.

Added by rayodiorne

East Sussex, England

Seven Sisters Cliffs

These stark white cliffs were spat up by the sea and are slowly being retaken by it.

leocorte

Added by leocorte

Suffolk, England

Principality of Sealand

A 550-square-meter micro-nation off the coast of Britain.

Rebekah Otto

Added by Rebekah Otto

Forest of Borth

A 4,500-year-old forest is slowly being revealed from beneath the sands of a Welsh beach.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Lendalfoot, Scotland

Sawney Bean's Cave

Legend says this cave housed a 16th-century cannibal and his family of 48.

Dover Castle

One of the few standing Roman lighthouses and a labyrinth of tunnels are a couple of the secrets at this historic castle.

Allison

Added by Allison

Charmouth, England

Charmouth Beach

Cliffs full of fossils at the portal to England's Jurassic Coast.

serflac

Added by serflac

Sumburgh, Scotland

Jarlshof

This picturesque archeological site looks like it was pulled straight from a fantasy novel.

cavok86

Added by cavok86

Stromness, Scotland

The Stones of Stenness

Possibly the oldest of Britain's ancient henges is also one of its most stark.

tyler

Blackpool, England

High Tide Organ

This sculpture is an instrument played by the swell of the seas.

Allison

Added by Allison

Whitby, England

Whitby Museum, Library & Archive

The curious and tiny collection contains some very odd objects.

Duckhead

Added by Duckhead

Shanklin, England

Shanklin Chine

This stream-carved gorge has inspired poets, hidden smugglers, and trained soldiers, all without losing its beauty.

Added by vivianlefay

Southend-on-Sea, England

The Broomway

A perilous medieval road leading right into the sea.

MagnumPI

Added by MagnumPI

Sandwick, Scotland

Broch of Mousa

A remarkably well preserved tower dating all the way back to the Iron Age.

AaronNetsky

Added by AaronNetsky

Whiteford Lighthouse

This lonely cast-iron structure is the only wave-washed lighthouse of its kind left in all of Britain.

Catherine

Added by Catherine

Swanage, England

Old Harry Rocks

65 million-year-old chalk outcroppings mark the end of the Jurassic Coast.

atimian

Added by atimian

Pittenweem, Scotland

St. Fillan's Cave

This tiny little cave was said to have been a refuge for a saint with a glowing arm.

pieofthemonth

Added by pieofthemonth

Quay House, The Smallest House in Great Britain

A former fisherman's hut deemed too small for habitation is now a delightful tourist draw.

Added by thescousewife

Brighton, England

The Royal Pavilion

Regency-era excess on the English Coast.

Added by NathanRisinger

Carloway, Scotland

Dun Carloway

A magnificent, iconic stone tower in the Scottish Highlands.

Added by embentley1

Waterloo, England

'Another Place'

A hundred copies of Antony Gormley's naked body stare out across the water.

Added by lercio

Holywell, Wales

Duke of Lancaster

Abandoned ship reimagined as a street art canvas.

Allison

Added by Allison

Liddel, Scotland

Tomb of the Eagles

This Scottish burial tomb once held hundreds of ancient eagle bones.

Added by embentley1

Crosstown, England

Church of St. Morwenna and St. John the Baptist

This ancient church, rebuilt at least 3 times, is flanked at all sides by history.

Added by Vordenius

Anstruther, Scotland

Smuggler's Inn

Stay in the one time home to one of Scotland's most notorious gentleman's sex clubs.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Birsay, Scotland

Brough of Birsay

This tiny island featuring 9th-century Viking ruins is only accessible at low tide.

wmorden

Added by wmorden

Haverfordwest, Wales

Skomer Island

A wildlife paradise, this island is one of the world’s most important habitats for burrow nesting seabirds.

katherineplatt

Added by katherineplatt

Ventnor, England

Blackgang Chine

The UK's oldest theme park slowly slips away.

Added by lydiab

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

North Rona Island

This remote Scottish isle is only inhabited by seals, birds, and the memory of a tragic settlement.

The Minx

Added by The Minx

Wadebridge, England

Doyden Castle

This remote castle was built to be a wealthy businessman's palace of vice but is now simply a historic vacation cottage.

Added by Vordenius

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