COTTAGES BY THE SEA

Our aim is to provide self-catering accommodation in scenic areas near Britain's coastline.  The properties we have chosen are all within 5 miles of the sea.  As we ourselves live near the coast, and rent seaside cottages in other areas most years, we thought a collection of properties that WE ourselves would like to stay in would be an interesting project.  Many cottages welcome pets.

The Coastline of England and Wales From the Solway Firth separating England from Scotland, the coast runs south, round the edge of the Lake District, on past Blackpool's famous beaches and funfairs, and through more sedate Southport.  South again is the vibrant city of Liverpool on the Mersey, the Dee estuary and the Welsh coast.  Near Chester the north Wales coast veers west through Llandudno (pleasant Victorian resort) skirting the northern edge of Snowdonia, to Anglesey and the Menai Straits and round the still unspoilt Lleyn peninsula. North Wales has its castles perched on cliffs (Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech), while the west coast has lovely estuaries and colourful harbours (Aberdovey, Aberaeron and New Quay).  South of Cardigan is the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park with its dramatic headlands, sheltered inlets and pretty harbours such as Solva.  After St Bride's Bay the coast turns east to Pembroke (one of the UK's best castles), Tenby and the south Wales coast with some vast beaches (Pendine is the best known), the lovely Gower peninsula and on to Swansea and Cardiff.  Chepstow with its Norman castle is Wales' last town on the Severn estuary before the English border. The South West - Devon, Cornwall and Dorset - has always been England's number one holiday destination.  The South West Coast path starts south of Bristol and coninues round Land's End and finishes at Poole in Dorset!  (Most of us do parts of this at a time, but, for the hardy, allow six weeks to walk the entire length!)  This coast has endless beaches, cliffs, fishing villages with their tales of smuggling and larger ports such as Falmouth, Plymouth and Dartmouth.  One can still escape the crowds - even in August.  The 'Jurassic Coast' (good for fossil hunters) starts in East Devon and runs east through Lyme Regis, past 'Golden Cap', the highest cliff on the south coast, to Poole Harbour - the largest of several natural harbours and inlets from Dorset to Sussex popular with sailing enthusiasts.  From Chichester Harbour we travel along past lively Brighton ('London by the Sea') and the dramatic Beachy Head into Kent with the famous white cliffs - Dover Castle is worth a visit. North of the Thames Estuary the Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire coasts have a character all of their own, with vast empty beaches, many bird sanctuaries and secluded inlets popular with boating enthusiasts.  Finally, the north Yorkshire and Northumbrian coastline is known for dramatic cliffs, fishing harbours such as Whitby and spectacular empty beaches.

Scotland's Coastline Scotland has some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in the world.  The Galloway coast along the Solway Firth has sandy bays and estuaries backed by more gentle mountains than further north.  North of Glasgow the coast is indented with spectacular sea lochs and peninsulas, while offshore are the hundreds of Hebredian Islands with ferry access to many.  Their character varies from larger islands such as Mull, Skye (reached by bridge from the Kyle of Lochalsh) and Harris and Lewis, to smaller islands such as Coll, Isla and Jura, and to the even smaller islands such as the Summer Isles near Ullapool.  Scotland's wild north coast east of Cape Wrath is empty and less well-known, a land of high cliffs, caves and small harbours.  John o' Groats lies at the eastern end (ferries from near here for the Orkney and Shetland Isles, once part of the 'Viking empire').  Scotland's east coast is known for its sandy beaches, many golf courses and sheltered inlets, from Dornoch, though Inverness and Banff, on past Aberdeen and St Andrews and finally to Edinburgh and beyond to Berwick on Tweed and England. PS We haven't forgotten Scotland's favourite brew - wherever you are on the Scottish coast and islands you are never far from a distillery to visit and sample the whisky.  Enjoy.