There is a temptation when planning a weekend in Scarborough to start making a list.
The beach, Peasholm Park, The Castle (yes Scarborough has a Castle), Fish and Chips, The Harbour, maybe Whitby if there’s time. A walk somewhere along the coast. Dinner booked for Saturday night. Something for Sunday morning before the drive home.
Before long, the weekend you’ve been looking forward to has become a timetable.
We think there’s a better way to do Scarborough.
A couple of days here is enough to see plenty, but it’s also long enough to remember that going away doesn’t have to mean filling every hour. Some of our favourite days on the Yorkshire Coast are the ones where very little was planned in the first place.
So if you’re thinking about a weekend break in Scarborough, here’s how we’d spend it.
Friday: Arrive, Unpack and Forget About the Car
Friday evening shouldn’t really count as one of your holiday days. It’s the bit where you arrive.
You’ve probably finished work, packed considerably more than you intended and spent at least part of the journey wondering what you’ve forgotten. By the time you get here, the last thing you need is an itinerary.
It’s one of the reasons we like staying in Scalby.
The village sits just outside Scarborough, close enough that the coast and town are only a few minutes away, but far enough out that arriving feels different. There are village pubs nearby, walks from the doorstep and no particular reason to get back in the car once you’ve unpacked.
At The Firs, Friday evening can be as uneventful as you want it to be. Put the kettle on, open something colder, order some food or wander into the village. Let the dog investigate every corner of the garden while you try to remember where you packed the phone charger.
The weekend can start tomorrow.
Saturday Morning: Head for the Sea
After a slower breakfast, we’d head towards the coast.
Scarborough has two very different bays, and which one you choose depends on what sort of morning you’re after.
South Bay is the Scarborough many people remember from childhood. The harbour, amusement arcades, fishing boats, traditional seafront and Scarborough Castle rising above it all give this side of town its unmistakable seaside character.
North Bay feels different. There’s more space, the beach stretches away beneath the cliffs and Peasholm Park sits just behind the seafront. It’s also particularly convenient from Scalby, which makes it an easy place to begin the day without turning getting there into an expedition.
You don’t necessarily need a plan beyond that.
Walk along the beach. Get a coffee. Sit for a while. If you’ve brought the dog, check the seasonal beach restrictions and find a stretch where everybody can have a run. If you’ve brought the kids, accept that whatever you thought you’d be doing next may have to wait until they’ve finished what they’re doing now.
That’s rather the point.
Saturday Afternoon: Choose One Thing
This might be the most important piece of advice in this entire guide.
Choose one thing.
Scarborough has enough attractions to fill considerably more than a weekend, but trying to squeeze five of them into a Saturday afternoon doesn’t necessarily make for a better Saturday.
You might wander through Peasholm Park and stay longer than expected. You could visit Scarborough Castle and take in the views from the headland. Families might spend the afternoon at one of the town’s attractions, while walkers may prefer to leave Scarborough behind altogether and follow part of the coastline.
Or you could just stay on the beach.
There is always another weekend.
We’ve written plenty elsewhere about things to do around Scarborough, including ideas for families, dogs and rainy days. They’re there if you need inspiration, but we’d use them as a menu rather than a checklist.
Saturday Evening: Come Back to Somewhere Quieter
This is where choosing where to stay in Scarborough starts to matter.
We love Scarborough for its energy during the day, but that doesn’t mean you necessarily want to sleep in the middle of it.
Coming back to Scalby gives the day a natural stopping point. You’re out of the town centre, back amongst village streets and within walking distance of local pubs if you’re heading out for dinner.
We’ve written before about why we think Scalby makes such a good alternative to staying in central Scarborough, and a weekend break probably demonstrates it better than anything else.
You don’t sacrifice Scarborough by staying outside it. You get to enjoy it and then come home from it.
And when you’re only away for a couple of nights, having somewhere that feels like home rather than simply somewhere to sleep makes quite a difference.
Sunday Morning: Don’t Rush Off
Sunday morning is where weekends away have a habit of going wrong.
You wake up and immediately start thinking about packing, checkout and the journey home.
We’d squeeze a little more out of it.
Scalby is well placed for a morning walk, whether that’s around the village itself, towards the coast or along part of the old railway route. If you’ve brought the dog, it’s also an opportunity to get some miles into their legs before the drive home.
Alternatively, go back to the sea.
Beaches have a completely different character first thing in the morning. Scarborough before the day properly gets going can feel a world away from the same place on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Grab a coffee, walk for a while and resist the urge to start watching the clock.
You came away for the weekend. Sunday morning is still part of it.
What If the Weather Is Terrible?
It is Yorkshire. We should probably discuss this.
A forecast full of rain doesn’t have to ruin a weekend in Scarborough, but it does change the sort of accommodation you’ll be glad you booked.
When the weather closes in, having a whole house rather than simply a room becomes much more valuable. You can cook, put a film on, play a game, make another coffee and wait to see what the weather decides to do next.
At The Firs, there’s also a separate games and cinema room, which becomes considerably more popular when the rain starts hitting the windows.
We’ve put together a separate guide to rainy day activities in Scarborough, but there’s another option people sometimes forget when they’re away.
You can do nothing for a couple of hours.
That’s allowed too.
A Weekend With the Dog
Scarborough and the surrounding Yorkshire Coast work particularly well for weekends with dogs because so much of what makes the area special happens outside.
There are coastal walks, countryside, village routes and dog friendly places to eat and drink, while several nearby beaches offer plenty of space to explore. Some sections of Scarborough’s beaches have seasonal restrictions, so it’s worth checking before setting off.
The Firs welcomes up to two dogs and has an enclosed garden, which makes life considerably easier when you get back after a day out. Rather than another walk on the lead before bed, you can open the door and let them outside.
If the dog is coming with you, our Dog Friendly Stays in Scarborough page has everything you need to know about staying here with them.
A Weekend With the Family
The same principle applies if you’re travelling with children: don’t try to do Scarborough all at once.
Choose a couple of things everybody genuinely wants to do and leave some space around them.
A holiday cottage works particularly well for families on shorter breaks because you have somewhere to retreat to between adventures. There are proper bedrooms, a kitchen when eating out for the third time in two days has lost its appeal, and somewhere for everybody to spread out in the evening.
If you’re planning a break with children, we’ve written more about family stays in Scarborough and why having your own holiday home can make the whole trip feel easier.
Where to Stay for a Weekend in Scarborough
There isn’t one correct answer.
If you want to step outside your accommodation and immediately be amongst the seafront, attractions and nightlife, staying centrally makes sense.
But if you’d rather have Scarborough within easy reach while coming back somewhere quieter at the end of the day, look slightly beyond the town centre.
That’s exactly why we love Scalby.
You’re only a few minutes from Scarborough’s North Bay, with the Yorkshire Coast and North York Moors beyond it, but the pace changes when you return to the village.
Our guide to the best areas to stay near Scarborough goes into the different options in more detail, but for us, Scalby offers a particularly good balance between being close to everything and not feeling surrounded by everything.
Staying at The Firs
The Firs is our three bedroom holiday home in Scalby, sleeping up to five people and welcoming up to two dogs.
There’s an enclosed garden, private parking, a kitchen and dining area, comfortable living room and a separate games and cinema room. More importantly, it’s somewhere you can properly settle into.
And perhaps that’s the thing we’d most recommend when planning a weekend in Scarborough.
Don’t try to see everything.
Choose somewhere good to stay. Pick a couple of things you’d genuinely like to do. Leave some room for the weather, a longer lunch than expected, another walk on the beach or an afternoon where nobody particularly wants to go anywhere.
Scarborough will still be here next time.
And there’s something rather nice about going home with a reason to come back.
