Scarborough

Where Scarborough is, and what it is like

Scarborough sits on the North Yorkshire coast about 17 miles east of Pickering along the A170, and roughly 20 miles south of Whitby. It is a town of around 61,000 people. A real place with a hospital, a college and a working harbour, not a seasonal shell. And it lies just outside the National Park boundary, which makes it the coast's big town rather than a moorland village.

The geography is the whole story. A headland crowned by a castle divides the town in two. South Bay is the traditional, bustling side: harbour, arcades, donkey rides, ice cream, the old town climbing the hill and the Spa along the front. North Bay is quieter and more natural, a long open beach, surfers, rock pools, parks and gardens. Choosing which bay you are in charge of for the day is the first decision every visitor makes.

A bit of history

The headland has been occupied for something like 3,000 years, Bronze Age settlement, a Roman signal station, then a medieval royal fortress. The stone castle you see is largely of the 1150s, Henry II's great keep at its heart, and it endured a bitter Civil War siege in 1645.

The resort came later and by accident. In the early 1600s a mineral spring was found on the shore, the discovery is traditionally credited to a Mrs Farrer, and Scarborough became a spa town, drawing visitors to drink and bathe long before the seaside holiday existed. When sea bathing became fashionable the town was already ready for it, and the Victorians built the grand hotels, the cliff lifts and the gardens that still define it.

Explore Scarborough: the full guide

This page is the overview, where the town is, its history, beds, getting here and events. The detail lives in three companion guides:

• Things to do in Scarborough , the two bays, Scarborough Castle, Peasholm Park, the Spa, the Open Air Theatre, the museums, the Fair Collection, beaches and walks.
• Where to eat in Scarborough , the fish and chip shops, harbour seafood, restaurants, tea rooms and old-town pubs.
• Shops and shopping in Scarborough , the Victorian Market Hall and its underground Vaults, vintage and antiques, bookshops and the high street.

What to see

The set pieces are Scarborough Castle on the headland between the bays, Peasholm Park with its dragon pedaloes and miniature Naval Warfare display, the Victorian Spa on South Bay and the clifftop Open Air Theatre. Add the Rotunda Museum, the Stephen Joseph Theatre and Anne Brontë's grave at St Mary's Church.

Two Blue Flag beaches, the flat Marine Drive walk round the headland, the South Cliff Italian Gardens and The Scarborough Fair Collection's vintage vehicles are all covered in our things to do in Scarborough guide.

Eating, drinking and shopping

Fish and chips on the harbourside, crab and whelks from the harbour stalls and a proper Yorkshire tea are the traditional order of the day, with the old-town streets behind South Bay holding most of the independent cafés, restaurants and pubs. Our where to eat in Scarborough guide names them.

For shopping, the restored Victorian Market Hall on St Helen's Square and the vintage traders in the Vaults beneath it are the highlight, with antiques and independents around St Nicholas Street, see shops and shopping in Scarborough. Inland alternatives are in our food and drink section.

Where to stay

Scarborough has the widest choice of beds on this coast, seafront hotels, guest houses on the North and South Cliffs, self-catering flats, holiday parks and campsites on the edges of town. We list no individual businesses we have not verified: book through the town's official visitor information, the established booking channels, or direct with the property.

If you want moors as well as sea, base yourself inland instead, around Thornton-le-Dale or Allerston , and drive over in about 40 minutes. See our where to stay guide and the best base villages comparison.

Getting here

By car: the A64 from York and Malton, or the A170 over from Pickering and Thornton-le-Dale. Town-centre and seafront pay-and-display parking fills fast in summer; arrive early or use the edge-of-town options.

By bus: the 843 Coastliner runs from Leeds and York to Scarborough, its sister 840 takes the moor route to Whitby, and the EY128 links Scarborough with Pickering and Helmsley along the A170. Both are scenic in their own right. Check current timetables.

By train: Scarborough station is in the centre of town, with services from York, Leeds and Hull. Combining rail here with the steam railway from Pickering makes a satisfying car-free week.

Events

Summer concerts at the Open Air Theatre, the Spa's jazz festival and orchestra season, the Naval Warfare displays at Peasholm Park, seafront and harbour events through the school holidays, and Christmas lights on the front. Dates change every year, check our what's on calendar and the official listings before booking around anything.

Accessibility and a gentle visit

Scarborough is one of the easier coastal towns to enjoy at a slow pace. Marine Drive is flat and fully surfaced the whole way round the headland; the open-top bus and the funicular cliff lifts spare the steep bits between front and clifftop; and there is blue-badge parking near both bays and at the main attractions. Peasholm Park, the Spa forecourt and the North Bay promenade are level.

The hard parts are the castle headland (a real climb, uneven ground at the top) and the old-town lanes above the harbour, which are steep and cobbled. A relaxed day might be: park on North Bay, the miniature railway to Scalby Mills, lunch, then the open-top bus round to South Bay and back along Marine Drive.

Nearby

Whitby is 20 miles north along the coast road; Robin Hood's Bay lies between them. Pickering and Thornton-le-Dale are half an hour west on the A170, with Dalby Forest in between. Inland, Sutton Bank and Helmsley make the far end of a moors day. See our itinerary for how to link the coast and the heather in one trip.