The Northumberland Coast: Holy Island, Dunstanburgh, the Farnes & the Best Walks

The Northumberland Coast runs south from Berwick-upon-Tweed, a shoreline of vast sandy beaches, dunes, low cliffs and fishing harbours, crowned by castles. It was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1958 and is now the Northumberland Coast National Landscape.

Why The Northumberland Coast Is Special

This is England's castle coast. Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh and Lindisfarne stand within a few miles of one another, each on its own dramatic rock, and between them lie some of the emptiest and most beautiful beaches in the country.

It is also the cradle of English Christianity in the north, and its islands are home to some of the greatest seabird colonies in Britain.

The History of The Northumberland Coast

In 635 Aidan, a monk from Iona, founded a monastery on Lindisfarne, the tidal island now called Holy Island, at the invitation of King Oswald, whose capital was at Bamburgh. Here, around the year 700, the monks created the Lindisfarne Gospels, one of the great treasures of early medieval art. In 793 the Vikings raided the monastery, an attack that shocked Christian Europe.

Lindisfarne Castle was built in 1550 on a rocky crag called Beblowe. In 1901 Edward Hudson, the founder of Country Life magazine, bought it and had it converted into a romantic holiday home by the architect Edwin Lutyens, and Gertrude Jekyll designed the little walled garden in the field below. It now belongs to the National Trust.

Dunstanburgh Castle was begun in 1313 by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, the most powerful baron in England, on a remote headland. Its great gatehouse was meant to be seen from the sea, and John of Gaunt strengthened the castle in the 1380s. Its ruins, reached only on foot, are among the most romantic on the English coast.

What to See & the Best Walks at The Northumberland Coast

Cross the causeway to Holy Island at low tide (check the safe crossing times, which are posted on the causeway) to see the priory ruins and Lindisfarne Castle. Walk the cliff path from Craster, a fishing village famous for its kippers, to Dunstanburgh Castle, about a mile and a half each way.

Visit Bamburgh for its castle and beach, and take a boat from Seahouses to the Farne Islands in season.

Wildlife at The Northumberland Coast

The Farne Islands are home to tens of thousands of nesting seabirds, including puffins from about April to July, and a large colony of grey seals, which pup in the autumn. Eiders, known locally as Cuddy's ducks after St Cuthbert, breed along the coast. Respect the seasonal closures that protect nesting birds.

Gardens, Countryside & Antiques near The Northumberland Coast

See the Northumberland Coast National Landscape and Farne Islands listings, and our guide to Bamburgh. The Alnwick Garden is a short drive inland.

Further inland lie the hills of the Northumberland National Park and the dramatic quarry garden at Belsay Hall Quarry Garden; our guide to Hadrian's Wall covers the Roman frontier.

The Northumberland Coast Through the Seasons

Late spring and early summer are the time for puffins and nesting terns. Summer brings long light evenings on the beaches. In autumn grey seal pups are born on the Farnes and wildfowl arrive on the mudflats around Holy Island, and winter walks on the empty sands are bracing and beautiful.

Getting to The Northumberland Coast

Berwick-upon-Tweed and Alnmouth are on the East Coast Main Line, with buses along the coast. Holy Island can only be reached by the tidal causeway.

The Northumberland Coast: Questions & Answers

When can you cross to Holy Island?

Only at low tide, by the causeway. Safe crossing times are published in advance and posted at the causeway; never try to cross outside them.

When can you see puffins on the Farne Islands?

Puffins nest on the Farnes from about April to July. Boats run from Seahouses.

Our Advice

Our advice: Plan your day around the Holy Island tide tables, walk to Dunstanburgh from Craster, and book a Farne Islands boat early in puffin season.