Commonly regarded as the UK’s first seaside resort, Scarborough has
a population of over 50,000 and is the largest holiday resort on the
Yorkshire coast providing a wide selection of quality hotels – a great choice for a UK holiday or short break.
One
of the town’s most striking features is its rocky headland, on top of
which sits the 11th century ruins of Scarborough Castle, which was
bombarded by the German warships in the First World War. Jutting out
eastward into the North Sea, the headland splits Scarborough’s two
sandy beaches, North Bay and South Bay, which are linked by Marine
Drive, an extensive Victorian promenade, built around the base of the
headland. Both bays have a wide range of local attractions, popular sandy beaches and numerous rock-pools at low tide.
South Bay
The
South Bay was the site of the original early medieval settlement and
the harbour, which form the current Old Town, and remains one of the
main focuses for tourism, with a sandy beach, cafes, amusements,
arcades, theatres and entertainment facilities.
Scarborough
harbour has undergone major regeneration in recent years including new
pontoons; free WiFi for visiting vessels and more pedestrian-friendly
promenade, street lighting and seating.
North Bay
The
North Bay, with its Blue Flag award-winning beach, is popular with
families and couples alike and has traditionally been the more peaceful
end of the resort.
North Bay is also home to Peasholm Park,
which has recently been restored to its Japanese-themed best, complete
with reconstructed pagoda. The park still features its famous ‘Naval
Warfare’ attraction – a mock maritime battle (based on the Battle of
the River Plate) re-enacted on the boating lake with large model boats
and fireworks throughout the summer holiday season.
Within the
park you will also find The North Bay Railway, a historic 20” gauge
miniature railway, operating since 1931 and running for around 3/4 of a
mile from Peasholm Park to Scalby Mills, home of the Scarborough Sea
Life & Marine Sanctuary.
South Cliff
Slightly
less well known is the South Cliff Esplanade situated above the
historic Scarborough Spa and South Cliff Gardens, commanding excellent
views of the South Bay and the old town and from which many iconic
postcard views are taken. Its splendid Regency and Victorian terraces
are still intact and the mix of quality Scarborough hotels and desirable apartments form a backdrop to the South Bay. Scarborough’s South Cliff is also home to ITV television drama The Royal and its recent spin-off series, The Royal Today, which are both filmed in this area.
Scarborough Town Centre
The
town centre is located approximately a quarter mile north-west of the
harbour, where you will find the main transport links services,
shopping, nightlife and town centre hotels Scarborough has to offer.
The
resort centre provides a great choice of high street shops and
boutiques. The Brunswick Centre is a prestigious all-weather shopping
centre with a department store and thirty-five other retail outlets.
The Centre is located in Scarborough’s pedestrianised shopping
precinct, which, with the surrounding streets, has many individual
boutiques, specialist shops and inviting cafes, restaurants and bars.
Scarborough Accommodation
If you are planning a holiday or short break in Scarborough you sure to find accommodation to suit your needs. There’s a huge range of Scarborough accommodation to choose between ranging from self-catering accommodation and cheap hotels to country houses and luxury hotels.
Scarborough
has a vibrant nightlife and offers a wide range of bars, restaurants
and clubs, and for those seeking a little more culture, there are four
theatres. The most famous of these is the Stephen Joseph Theatre where
most of Alan Ayckbourn’s plays have premiered. The others are the
Futurist Theatre, the Spa Theatre and the YMCA Theatre.
Scarborough Nightlife & Entertainment
If
nightclubs and bars are what you’re looking for, then Scarborough will
not disappoint, offering a wide range of traditional British pubs, as
well as modern wine bars and chain pubs including J D Wetherspoon,
Barracuda and Blue Lounge. The main ‘pub run’ starts at the top of the
town at The Lord Rosebery and winds through the streets of Scarborough
to St. Thomas Street home of Boleyn’s Nightclub, Privilege Gentlemen’s
Club and The Opera House Casino.
If loud music and discos
aren’t your cup of tea, then check out the Scarborough jazz festival
held in September or take a stroll down to the Scarborough Spa, where
orchestras play at this fantastic Victorian complex on the seafront in
South Bay (an ideal venue to enjoy a dinner and dance).
Whatever
evening entertainment you are looking for, Scarborough won’t disappoint
with shows galore for all the family throughout the year, including
variety, musicals, comedies and big name acts side by side with
contemporary plays and dramas. For a more informal evening, pop into
one of the many local pubs and enjoy the live music provided by local
and regional bands and keep an extra special eye out for Scarborough’s
local legend ‘Danny Wilde’!
Day or night you’ll never be stuck for something to do or see, with a whole host of first class local attractions in Scarborough
such as the award winning SeaLife and Marine Sanctuary, Scarborough Art
Gallery, the newly refurbished Rotunda Museum and much more. Plus
there’s a whole host of Scarborough festivals, including Beached, the
Yorkshire Coast’s biggest free live music festival, ‘Acoustic
Gathering’, a free one day music festival held annually in Peasholm
Park, Seafest, the Scarborough Jazz Festival, Bike week, Scarborough
Fayre and the Scarborough Cricket Festival, providing you with all year
round events. For more information on what to do in Scarborough, visit the local attractions section which is packed full of Scarborough tourist information.
Scarborough also boasts many quality restaurants many serving a variety of fresh local produce. Scarborough restaurants
cater for all tastes with everything from seafood and a la carte
establishments to Italian, Greek, Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisine.
There are literally hundreds to choose from but be sure to check out
the Multi-award winning Italian Restaurant Lanterna as well as the
Michelin recommended restaurants Peppers, The Sea View Restaurant at The Royal Hotel and Wrea Head Country House Hotel’s Four Seasons Restaurant. Walk in service is available at these restaurants, however, due their popularity, we strongly advise that you to pre-book to avoid disappointment.
When
visiting Scarborough, one thing is for certain; whatever you decide to
do or wherever you decide to visit you will always receive that warm
Yorkshire welcome!
