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When plans are being made for days out and even holidays this summer, forget all those hotspots teeming with tourists - Northumberland should be right at the top of the travel list. From

being named among the most beautiful places to visit in all of the UK to its beaches and fish and chip shops scooping award after award, one particular stretch of the idyllic Northumberland

Coast from Seahouses to Bamburgh has been hitting the headlines for all the right reasons lately. These two tiny seaside villages are just an eight-minute drive apart, meaning you can't

visit one without the other on a day trip like the one I took with family at the weekend - and each one is bursting with its own beauty. After making the one-hour drive up from Whitley Bay,

we started off in Seahouses where first on the itinerary was taking the famous Billy Shiel's boat trip out to the Farne Islands. Sometimes, when you visit a place a lot as a child, you

can have a rather rose-tinted view of it only to find that it's not quite how you remember it when you return as an adult - but I can say the opposite about this beautiful fishing

village. Despite being certain that it couldn't possibly be as magical as I remembered it being when I was little, I couldn't have been more wrong. Seahouses has changed very

little over the past couple of decades, and why would it? With its smattering of shops and eateries overlooking breathtaking views all along the coast, everything you need for a day out is

right here, striking the perfect balance of being buzzing with visitors while still having plenty of spots to enjoy some peace and quiet (on a sunny Saturday in May, no less). While we were

incredibly lucky with the beautiful cloudless weather, the sea was having a rough day, so the trip out to the Farne Islands left me feeling a little queasy - but it was more than worth it to

get a glimpse of hundreds of puffins, dozens of seals and a whole host of other wildlife up close. This is a trip that, once again, has lost none of the magic from when I was much younger,

feeling even now like an adventure out into a secret world tucked away from humanity. GET ALL THE LATEST UPDATES ON FOOD, DRINK, ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS IN THE NORTH EAST WITH OUR FREE

WHAT’S ON NEWSLETTER Once we were back on dry land, it was time for some traditional fish and chips at Neptune Fish Restaurant, which was utterly delicious - and I can say that with some

authority as someone who lives on the coast and has tried fish and chips from all manner of places. After a look around the friendly shops where I picked up a few puffin-themed souvenirs, we

had to follow up lunch with some deep-fried doughnuts from the van on the pier, which we tucked into sitting on a bench overlooking the sea. It was then time for the trip up to Bamburgh,

which also hasn't changed a bit since the last time I visited or indeed the first a good two decades ago now. I challenge anyone to tire of the view of the spectacular Bamburgh Castle

overlooking the golden sands of Bamburgh Beach - despite having seen it countless times before, I simply couldn't take my eyes off this fairytale landscape. For those of us who live in

Northumberland or the North East, I think it can be all too easy to forget how very lucky we are to have this wealth of beauty right on our doorstep. Showing views of Bamburgh to friends

from overseas or even down in the south always draws gasps and comments of how fortunate we are to live so close to somewhere so stunning. A long walk along Bamburgh beach and through the

dunes of course had to be rounded off with ice cream from Wyndenwell, where the rhubarb and custard flavour was to die for. After a packed few hours, I couldn't quite believe that it

was time to head home already, and before we left we were already planning the next trip up to go inside Bamburgh Castle and head over to the mystical Lindisfarne. Would I recommend going to

Bamburgh and Seahouses this summer? I'll do you one better - ditch that boring beach holiday that you always go on in the same part of Spain each year and discover the enchanting

escapes right here instead. You won't get the temperatures that you do abroad, but in my opinion being too hot to move is overrated anyway, and even rain does little to dampen the magic

of Northumberland. While I've never stayed overnight on the Northumberland Coast, there are plenty of options when it comes to hotels, campsites and holiday cottages given that

there's easily enough by way of historic attractions, wildlife watching and scenic walks to fill a few days. It's worth checking out the like of Sykes Holiday Cottages and

holidaycottages.co.uk for places to stay in and around Bamburgh. JOIN OUR THINGS TO DO WHATSAPP COMMUNITY Join our Things To Do community for all the latest news What's On news sent

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