Northumberland’s coast of castles
From Newcastle north to Alnwick, the ruins of Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh on its crag and the tidal island of Lindisfarne.
- Distance
- 126 km (79 mi)
- Driving
- 1 h 45 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 8
- Countries
- United Kingdom
- Updated
- July 4, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 126 km (79 mi) with 8 stops, from Newcastle upon Tyne to Berwick-upon-Tweed. About 1 h 45 min of driving in total.
Route description
Leave Newcastle on the A1 north to Alnwick, a market town dominated by its castle, still the home of the Dukes of Northumberland. The castle and the gardens next door can easily fill a day with children.
Take the B1340 to the coast at Craster, a fishing village known for its smoked kippers, and walk along the shore to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle; there is no road. The coast road continues north through Beadnell to Seahouses, where boats leave for the Farne Islands and their puffins from May to July.
Bamburgh Castle rises on a basalt crag above one of the finest beaches in England, with a village green below. Further north, Holy Island is reached across a causeway that floods at every high tide: check the published safe crossing times and do not try to beat the sea.
Finish in Berwick-upon-Tweed, England’s northernmost town, where you can walk right around the Elizabethan ramparts. The coast from here stays quiet even in August, and there are good campsites near Bamburgh and Beadnell.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Newcastle upon Tyne
United Kingdom - 261 km
Alnwick
United Kingdom - 30 km
Alnwick Castle
HistoryAlnwick, United KingdomA medieval fortress still lived in by the Dukes of Northumberland, known to many as a Harry Potter film location. Allow half a day with children.
- 413 km
Dunstanburgh Castle
HistoryCraster, United KingdomThe gaunt ruins of a 14th-century castle on a lonely headland. There is no road to it: walk about 2 km along the grassy shore from Craster.
- 514 km
Seahouses
United Kingdom - 66 km
Bamburgh Castle
HistoryBamburgh, United KingdomA huge castle on a basalt crag above a wide, dune-backed beach. Walk the sands at low tide for the classic view.
- 711 km
Lindisfarne (Holy Island)
HistoryHoly Island, United KingdomA tidal island with the ruins of an early Christian priory and a small castle. The causeway floods twice a day: check the safe crossing times before you drive over.
- 821 km
Berwick-upon-Tweed
United Kingdom
