North Cornwall
Northern Cornwall is home to dozens of beaches with lots to recommend them – not just their famous surf. You could discover plenty more by spotting a smidge of sand on your OS map.
Port Gaverne, a little cove near Port Isaac always described as "quaint", is a good place to watch seals (and occasional basking sharks, dolphins and porpoises), go fishing or rummage in rock pools.
Polzeath is popular, with cafes, good loos, and surf hire, while Daymer, on the way to Rock, is sheltered and shallow, so great for swimming. There are several beaches near busy Padstow, including wide golden Booby's Bay – sure to make kids giggle, and a hit with advanced surfers. Mother Ivey's Bay is more secluded: with no road access, it's reached by a 20-minute coastal path walk.
South of Newquay, Perranporth is great for activities from surfing and riding to powerkiting, landboarding and buggy riding. Try Mobius Kite School (01637 831383.
Then there's Gwithian, a huge stretch of sand east of St Ives. Little ones will enjoy poking around in rock pools and slurping ice-creams from the cute Jam Pot Cafe .
Portheras Cove is one of those perfect little beaches known mainly to locals. It's just north of the village of Pendeen. Sennen Cove, the last major beach before Land's End, has pale sands, bright turquoise water, and waves that draw surfers from far and wide. The Beach Restaurant (01736 871191) there serves Fowey mussels in shallots and white wine, Newlyn crab sarnies, catch of the day and more.
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire's coast is a well-kept secret, with wide stretches of family-friendly sand and uncrowded old-fashioned resorts. Don't let the name put you off: Skegness (nicknamed Skeggy) has a wonderful beach, wide and largely empty, especially to the south towards Gibraltar Point.
Heading north, Anderby Creek is coastal Britain from the good old days, no chi-chi hotels and bars, no theme parks, just quiet sands, families having fun and a sleepy village. At low tide, coastal foragers can find full-size crabs in the pools. The Blue Flag beach of Sutton on Sea has a few more facilities and services, such as lifeguards, deckchairs and beach huts for hire.
Mablethorpe, 17 miles north of Skegness, is typical cute English seaside, arguably the most charming resort in the county, with around 100 colourful beach huts and chalets, some available for holiday rentals, and a Blue Flag beach. Its Seal Sanctuary is fun to visit, and in September, Mablethorpe and Sutton host the annual Bathing Beauties arts festival, with beach huts turned into galleries, live music, crafts, comedy and theatre.
North-west Scotland
Between Durness and John O'Groats, on the north coast of the Scottish Highlands, beautiful white sandy beaches are backed by cliffs and wild moors. You can find places to stay in Durness or Thurso, though wild camping, legal in Scotland, is one of the best ways to experience this area.
West of Durness, round Cape Wrath, Sandwood Bay has a spectacular mile-long beach. It's around four miles' walk from the hamlet of Blairmore, and part of a 4,703-hectare conservation estate owned by the John Muir Trust. East of Durness, crescent-shaped Balnakeil beach has sand dunes and rare machair terrain, and safe swimming.
In the Eriboll sea loch, Ard Neakie is a promontory with a long spit with a curving sandy beach on each side. And near the village of Bettyhill – home to the Strathnaver Museum, all about the ancient Mackay clan – there's a lovely beach at Torrisdale Bay – again with dunes, riverside and moorland, and the occasional wandering cow.
Dunnet Bay, on the other side of Thurso, is one of the best: a super-clean and stunning sweep of beach, popular with surfers and birdwatchers.
Almost at John O'Groats, the beach at Ness of Duncansby sometimes has masses of shells. Look out for "groatie-buckies", small cowrie shells often found here. Around the coast, heading south again, Sinclairs Bay has several splendid beaches, including sandy Reiss, stony Keiss, and Ackergill, with its 14th-century tower.
