Burton Riggs Nature Reserve

The cliffs here drop dramatically into the North Sea, and on a clear day you can see right across to Whitby. Burton Riggs Nature Reserve sits just south of Scarborough, a proper coastal gem that doesn't get nearly the footfall of the town's main attractions.

It's a working landscape rather than manicured parkland - rough grassland, scrubby vegetation, and exposed chalk cliffs where nesting birds claim their ledges from spring onwards. You'll see kittiwakes, razorbills, and if you're lucky, guillemots wheeling overhead. The walking is straightforward enough, though the paths can get muddy after rain and the cliff edge demands respect.

History types will appreciate that the cliffs themselves tell a geological story - layers of chalk and flint visible in the exposed sections. Walkers get genuine coastal path without the tourist crowds, and birdwatchers should bring binoculars: the reserve is particularly productive during breeding season (April to July) and during migration periods.

Allow a couple of hours to do it justice, longer if you're seriously into birds. It's free to visit and works brilliantly as a morning outing before heading back to Cayton Bay or one of the caravan parks scattered between here and Filey - Parkdean Resorts Cayton Bay is barely two miles away, which makes this ideal for a day's break from holiday routines.

Worth the trip? Absolutely, but go early. By noon in summer, the car park fills up with day-trippers.