Fishing villages

Escape to the coast for an idyllic break in a haven by the sea with our guide to the most charming fishing villages to visit in the UK.

While away summer days amid tropical palms and clinking sailboats at Plockton in the Wester Ross region of north-west Scotland

The Llŷn Peninsula is one of the best places in the UK for spotting dolphins. It’s also home to endearing fishing villages, not least Abersoch with its sandy shores and river-fed harbour

Blakeney Point’s basking seals are a must-see on a visit to North Norfolk, but with its exuberant history and cosy inns, the spit’s namesake village on the coast shouldn’t be missed either

Enjoy a seaside stroll between two of Northern Ireland’s prettiest – and smallest – fishing villages, past crumbling sea stacks, scores of islets and butterfly-filled dunes

Visit a North Yorkshire coastal village recently voted as having the best beach in Britain

Relax in the small fishing community of Walberswick, which sits serenely on the River Blyth just as it spills into the North Sea

Follow in the footsteps of film stars, French invaders and herring fishermen in the colourful coastal village of Lower Fishguard

Explore mainland Britain’s southernmost fishing village, from its pilchard-fishing origins and boat-strewn beach to its 300-year-old inn