The beach is the ideal venue for a wide variety of sports and pastimes, from swimming and surfing to yachting and serious rock pool exploring – this stretch of coastline is of the Jurassic age and is important in geological terms. The imposing rocky outcrop of Filey Brigg, to the north of the bay, is home to abundant wildlife and visitors young and old will enjoy discovering the designated nature trail, while birdwatchers will find it a rich haven for spotting all manner of sea and nesting birds.

Away from the beach, Filey Museum, located in a beautiful grade II listed building in the town, reveals an interesting local history, whilst Filey Crescent Gardens and Glen Gardens both offer excellent green spaces for family picnics, children’s playgrounds and, in the latter case, a lovely boating lake for family fun. Children will love a visit to Filey Bird Garden and Animal Park, whilst the Funland Amusement Arcade offers traditional British seaside slot machines and arcade games to keep older children entertained.

The Black and Cambrian mountains a wait for walkers and hikers, as does the Brecon Beacons National Park just a short drive away. The unspoilt Pembrokeshire coastline is within reach, as are the pretty spa towns of Llandridod Wells and Builth Wells. To the east, the fashionable and bustling market towns of Ludlow and Hay-on-Wye are well worth exploring.

In Newtown be sure to enjoy the clean, open space of the Oriel Davies Gallery with its fine collection of contemporary art displays and installations, or call in at the museum’s Gallery Café for refreshments, and take in the Textile Museum. Visit the gardens and museum dedicated to Robert Owen, founder of the co-operative movement, tackle the two-mile section of the Severn Way, which follows the river as it meanders through town. During the summer months plan your mid-Wales holiday cottage stay to coincide with Newtown’s Carnival, Motor Show or Food Festival.

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Whitchurch

Leave time for a visit to historic Whitchurch on your Shropshire cottage holiday; it’s home to one of the world’s oldest clockmakers, JB Joyce, whose time pieces keep the watch on towers, churches and other public buildings across the globe. Learn more at the Heritage and Craft Centre, or enjoy shopping for local specialities and fresh local produce at the town’s regular Farmer’s Markets. The pleasant green space of Jubilee Park is the place to head out for a stroll; no less than five of the county’s long distance walks, including the Shropshire Way, begin here, whilst the Llangollen canal offers alternative short walks and cycles. Nearby, the north Shropshire markets towns of Ellesmere, Wem and Market Drayton offer a variety of attractions.

Ullapool

The neat, whitewashed fishing village of Ullapool is the main base from which to explore the north-western Highlands of Scotland. There are supermarkets, pubs, restaurants and all the other facilities required on a cottage holiday in this remote region, together with the ferry crossing point for visits to Stornoway on Lewis, the largest settlement in the Western Isles. The Ullapool Museum is a testament to the hardy nature of the people that conquered this harsh region of Scotland over the centuries, and tells their story and that of the wider Loch Broom region. Discover this area for yourself, with a short pleasure cruise out to the Summer Isles on Loch Broom from Ullapool’s harbour. Also worth a visit from Ullapool is the spectacularly steep-sided Corrieshalloch Gorge, which can be viewed from a suspension bridge, set twelve miles south of the village.

Durness

Just short of seventy miles north of Ullapool, Durness is the collective name for a series of scattered coastal hamlets, peppered with a series of lovely beaches, blessed with expansive panoramic views and some excellent wildlife watching opportunities. Puffin colonies can be observed in early summer at Faraid Head, a short walk from the village, whilst the seas around the village hold treasure for scuba divers, including wrecks to explore and large marine life such as seals, dolphins and whales. Local rangers can provide information on the many and varied walks in the area; a good place to begin is the tiny information centre in the village. Pick up information here on sea and trout fishing, walking, from gentle strolls to tackling Ben Hope, Scotland’s most northerly Munro, as well as the unique geology and flora and fauna of the region. Nearby, visit the vast chambers and blow holes of Smoo Cave, in summer and in good weather take a passenger ferry across the Kyle of Durness to Cape Wrath and the highest sea cliffs in the UK, or enjoy a round of golf on mainland Britain’s most northerly course.

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Embleton

On Northumberland’s Heritage Coast, picturesque Embleton is an attractive village with a well-maintained green and village shop. Embleton’s main attraction is beautiful Embleton Bay, located about half a mile from the village centre. A vast sweep of fine sandy beach backed by high dunes, there are wonderful views down the coast to nearby Dunstanburgh castle, which rises majestically at the southerly tip of the bay.

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Amble

At the mouth of the River Coquet, the small town of Amble, known as Amble-by-the-Sea until the mid-eighties, is a small fishing town with quiet, sandy beaches. The harbour and estuary are popular spots for fishing, sailing and bird watching, while tourist boat trips make the journey to nearby Coquet Island, which lies a mile or so off the coast, in search of puffins, seals and other marine life. The island is now a designated bird sanctuary in the care of the RSPB, where enthusiasts will find a wide variety of terns, but it first found fame as the home to St. Henry of Coquet, a Danish nobleman.