A short visitor's guide to Scarborough, North Yorkshire: things to do, places to eat and drink, and what's on through the year.
Scarborough sits on the North Yorkshire coast, the largest town on the Yorkshire Coast and the fourth-largest settlement in the county. It is a classic Victorian seaside resort with a working harbour, two long sandy bays split by a headland crowned with a medieval castle, and a townscape of cliff lifts, gardens and cream-painted terraces stepping down to the sea.
Visitors come for the twin sweep of North Bay and South Bay, the ruins of Scarborough Castle on the headland between them, fish and chips on the seafront, and easy access to the North York Moors and the rest of the Yorkshire Coast. Quieter villages like Scalby sit just a few miles inland, useful for guests who want a base near Scarborough without staying in the centre of town.
The headline draw is Scarborough Castle, perched on the rocky promontory between North and South Bay. Its medieval keep and curtain walls give some of the best views on the whole Yorkshire Coast, and English Heritage runs jousts, sieges and family events there through the summer.
Inland from the seafront, Peasholm Park is the other Scarborough classic: a landscaped park around a lake with Japanese pagoda, oriental statues and the famous Naval Warfare displays where staffed model boats re-fight historic battles. Scarborough North Bay Railway runs along the same edge of town, a miniature railway that has been carrying passengers since 1931, alongside a ropes course and one of the few historic water chutes left in Britain. The Rotunda Museum, designed in 1829 to William Smith's plans, is the world's oldest purpose-built museum still in use and a good wet-weather call for its geology, archaeology and Yorkshire fossil collection.
For something more atmospheric, the Italian Gardens sit above South Bay with formal Edwardian planting, statues and a pond, and the Anne Bronte Grave in St Mary's churchyard near the castle is a quiet pilgrimage spot (she is the only Bronte sister buried away from Haworth). The Scarborough Spa Cliff Lift still trundles between the Esplanade and the seafront, exactly as it has since the late Victorian era.
The two great outdoor draws are the bays themselves. South Bay is the classic resort beach: sand below the castle headland, traditional amusements, fish and chip stalls. North Bay is the longer, wilder side, popular with surfers and dog walkers and quieter out of high season. The Marine Drive loop hugs the foot of the castle headland and links the two, a flat, wave-splashed mile that doubles as one of the best short walks on the Yorkshire Coast.
For higher-altitude views, head up to Olivers Mount War Memorial and Viewing Point, the only true inland hill within the town boundary, with a 360-degree panorama from the castle to the moors. The South Bay Aerial Panorama viewpoint just off the Esplanade gives the picture-postcard look down over the harbour, while the Italian Gardens and the small Rose Garden along the Esplanade are the easiest formal-planting strolls. Inland, The Valley Park runs through the town centre between the railway station and the spa, and Peasholm Island, the pagoda-topped islet in the middle of the Peasholm Park lake, is a five-minute paddle-boat ride from the boating station.
For longer green walks, Woodland Ravine in North Cliff is a cool wooded glen, Shuttleworth Gardens sit on the South Cliff above the spa, and the Sandybed Nature Trail on the western edge of town gives a quieter loop away from the seafront crowds. If you are bringing the dog, our dog-friendly holiday cottages in Scarborough are useful for matching properties to off-lead beach access (North Bay allows dogs all year on the eastern stretch).
When the haar rolls in off the North Sea, the obvious first stop is Scarborough Spa, the grand Victorian entertainment complex on South Bay. Its theatre, sun court and ballroom run a year-round programme of concerts, comedy, family shows and the long-running Scarborough Spa Orchestra. Olympia Leisure on the Foreshore is the seafront option for kids: ten-pin bowling, soft play and arcade machines under one roof. For something more grown-up, Escape Room Scarborough (Mr E Rooms) on Vernon Road runs six themed rooms across the same building, and is one of the rare escape-room operators that actively welcomes well-behaved dogs.
Shopping and gallery weather is well-covered too. Square One (SQ1) on Westborough is the central covered shopping centre, with cafés and a kids' play area on the upper floor. Just round the corner the Woodend Gallery, the former holiday home of the literary Sitwell family, hosts rotating exhibitions of regional artists alongside its creative-industries hub, and the Tracy Savage Gallery on St Nicholas Cliff is a smaller independent worth a look. The Rotunda Museum and Art Gallery (covered in the Attractions section above) round out the wet-weather options.
If the forecast is honest about the rain, our hot tub holiday cottages in Scarborough make the back-up plan easy: a long soak after a half-day at the spa or the arcades, or a full duvet-day with the rain on the windows. Crown Spa Health Club on the Esplanade also lets non-residents buy day passes for its pool and sauna, useful if your cottage doesn't have its own.
The most atmospheric drinking is on Sandside, the cobbled strip facing the harbour. Newcastle Packet is the standout: one of the oldest pubs in Scarborough, with a log-burning stove, historic features and one of the longest-serving landladies in the county. Live bands run on Friday and Saturday nights through the holiday season, and karaoke runs most weekends. A few doors away Golden Ball and The New Lancaster are the easy follow-ups for a slow harbourside crawl, both right on the water with views over the fishing fleet.
In the town centre, The Lord Rosebery on Westborough is the obvious Wetherspoons option: large, reliable, and one of the few places doing a full pub breakfast at sensible prices. For something with more character, Stumble Inn further along Westborough was Scarborough's first micropub, with rotating cask ales, craft kegs and locally sourced ciders. Scarborough Flyer on St Nicholas Street is a brighter, more modern option with vintage fixtures and live sport, and Dickens Bar and Inn on Huntriss Row leans into real ales, ciders and weekend live music.
For a traditional family-friendly local away from the seafront crowds, The Albert on North Marine Road is the long-standing North Cliff pub, fireplace and Sunday carvery included. The Merchant Irish Bar on Eastborough fills the Guinness-and-craic slot, and the historic Scarborough Arms on North Terrace sits handily between the railway station and the seafront.
Fish and chips is the local religion, and the consensus pick on review scores is Lifeboat Fish Bar on Eastborough, a small family-run shop that does the classic plate properly. The Famous Fish Pan on Foreshore Road is the go-to seafront takeaway if you want to walk it onto the beach, Winking Willy's on Sandside has the nostalgic harbourside-caff atmosphere with fish from the nearby market, and Oasis Cafe on Royal Albert Drive is the North Bay choice when you don't want to face the South Bay queues.
For sit-down dinners, Giannis Italian Restaurant on Victoria Road is the long-standing family-run favourite, with a Venetian-themed function room and a steady stream of locals as well as visitors. ASK Italian on Sandside is the dependable chain option in a great seafront location for stone-baked pizzas. Askim's Turkish Restaurant on Huntriss Row punches well above its weight, with some of the highest review scores in town for grilled meats and mezze.
If you want a destination dinner with a view, head up to Olivers on the Mount, the restaurant on Olivers Mount above town: panoramic outlook, well-rated kitchen, worth booking ahead. Down at the harbour, The King Richard III is a Grade I listed cafe-bar on Sandside with outside seating overlooking the fishing fleet, useful for a relaxed lunch when the weather plays.
Two Scarborough institutions anchor the cafe scene. Bonnet & Sons on Huntriss Row has been running since 1880, with its original on-site chocolate factory and bakery still turning out homemade cakes, scones and pastries; downstairs is a cafe with a courtyard, upstairs a table-service restaurant. Harbour Bar at the foot of Sandside is the other cult favourite, an unchanged 1940s ice-cream parlour right on the harbourside, all cherry-red booths and chrome counters. Locals will argue about which knickerbocker glory is the best in town for as long as you let them.
For sea views with your coffee, The Watermark Cafe on Royal Albert Drive sits right on North Bay with panoramic views, free-range eggs and produce from its own farm, and a properly worked-out dog policy for the post-walk crowd. The Clock Cafe sits inside Scarborough Spa with the same ozone air and a slightly grander setting, and Peaches 'n' Cream at Peasholm Gap is the obvious ice-cream and tearoom stop between Peasholm Park and the North Bay beach.
Inland, Conservatory Coffee Shop on Newborough is a long-standing family-run cafe (close to forty years now) with a friendly local crowd, and Eat Me Cafe at the Stephen Joseph Theatre on Westborough is the more contemporary choice, doing breakfast, global lunches and Asian-influenced evening menus in an industrial-style room. Bella Rose Cafe on Columbus Ravine is the neighbourhood pick on the way out toward Peasholm Park, and Coffee Room Scarborough in the railway station is a useful first or last stop on the way in or out of town.
By car, the main tourist route in is the A64, which links Scarborough through York and the A1(M) to Leeds and is dual carriageway between the A1(M) and Malton. Coming up the coast from Hull and Bridlington you take the A165, which has bypassed Osgodby since 2008. The A170 heads west to Pickering, the A19 and Thirsk, and the A171 runs north through Whitby and the North York Moors to Middlesbrough. Two Park and Ride sites on the A64 and A165 keep cars out of the centre: shuttle buses run every 12 minutes, seven days a week, into town and South Bay.
By train, Scarborough Railway Station is the eastern terminus of the York-Scarborough line on the North TransPennine route, with TransPennine Express running hourly to York and alternate services continuing to Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly. Northern runs the Yorkshire Coast Line south to Hull. The station holds an unusual record: the world's longest station seat, 152 yards (139 m). Seamer station, out in Crossgates, sits on both lines and is the more convenient option if you are staying inland or in the villages just north of town such as Scalby, about 3.6 km up the A171 toward Whitby.
Around town, the open-top Beachcomber seafront buses link North Bay and South Bay along Marine Drive in summer, and the seafront cliff lifts still run between the Esplanade and the spa. Twenty-five local routes connect the town to its suburbs, the moors and other coastal towns, operated by Scarborough Locals, Arriva North East, Shoreline Suncruisers and Yorkshire Coastliner. There are no ferries from Scarborough itself, but Hull, an hour or so south on the A165, has frequent sailings to northern Europe.