Summer might be over, but that doesn’t mean the British coast is going quiet. In fact, September and October are a great time to head to the seaside, when the crowds thin out, the air gets a bit crisper and coastal wildlife really starts to come into its own. Grey seals head to quiet beaches to give birth to fluffy white pups, dolphins bring their calves into the shallows to feed, and whales can be spotted following shoals through northern waters. Further inland, red deer stags are busy locking horns on coastal headlands, while thousands of Arctic geese arrive for the winter
People are catching on, too. Searches for shoulder season breaks have shot up by 140% over the past three years according to travel research firm Journeyscape. If you ask us, swapping a packed summer promenade for a quiet coastal path and a flask of something hot sounds pretty good to us.
So, if you fancy stretching your legs and seeing some of the UK’s autumn wildlife along the way, here are 10 of the best coastal walks to try this autumn.
1. Chanonry Point, Moray Firth, Scotland
Wildlife to spot: Bottlenose dolphins and young calves
Our pick for the best autumnal walk this year has to go to Chanonry Point. Based on the Moray Firth, this is one of the best places in Scotland to watch bottlenose dolphins from land. The dolphins are known for coming remarkably close to shore as they hunt for salmon, so you don’t necessarily need a boat trip or fancy equipment to get a good look. If you’re lucky, you might see them surfacing, splashing and chasing fish just metres from the beach.
September is an especially good time to visit, too. The Moray Firth is home to one of only a handful of resident coastal bottlenose dolphin populations in Europe, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation identifies late August and September as the peak of their ‘maternity season’. This means you could spot mothers swimming alongside their young calves as they feed in the waters around the point.
Bottlenose dolphins have a long pregnancy of around 13 months, so the calves you see at this time of year are still relatively young. Keep your eyes on the water and you may even catch them learning to keep up with their mothers as they move through the shallows. The walk from nearby Fortrose to Chanonry Point is only around a mile as well, making it one of the shortest and easiest wildlife walks on our list! It’s a lovely option if you want to combine a gentle coastal stroll with a very good chance of seeing dolphins without committing to a full day’s hike.
2. Strangford Lough, County Down, Northern Ireland
Wildlife to spot: Light-bellied brent geese
Coming in at number two, Strangford Lough is one of the best places in the UK to see light-bellied brent geese as they arrive for the winter. Every September, thousands make their way to Northern Ireland after an incredible journey from their breeding grounds in Arctic Canada and Greenland. These small geese travel thousands of miles each year, with numbers gradually building around the lough as autumn gets underway. Strangford Lough is one of the most important wintering sites in the world for the species, while the wider area attracts more than 20,000 wintering waterfowl over the course of a season.
For an easy way to see them, head to Castle Espie and follow the 0.7-mile Wildlife Wander along the edge of the lough. The flat, accessible route takes you past the water and mudflats, where you can watch the flocks gathering as they settle in for winter. The Brent Hide also gives you a great vantage point without getting too close to the birds, and there’s something pretty special about seeing thousands of geese arrive at the same stretch of coastline each year.
3. Martin’s Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Wildlife to spot: Grey seals and newborn pups
Taking third place, Martin’s Haven is one of the best spots in the UK to see grey seals in the wild. Pembrokeshire‘s rugged coastline is home to the largest grey seal pupping colony in southern Britain, with hundreds of fluffy white pups born here every year. From August through to November, mother seals haul themselves onto quiet shingle beaches around Ramsey Island and the mainland coast to give birth. The pups are born with their distinctive white coats before gradually moulting into the darker colouring of adult seals, with around 500 to 700 born in the area each year.
The National Trust’s one-mile circular walk around the Deer Park headland gives you great views across the sound towards Ramsey Island, with the path passing over uneven grass and rocky outcrops and offering plenty of places to stop and look down into the sheltered coves below. Bring your binoculars and keep an eye on the water and rocks for seals bobbing in the swell or hauling themselves ashore, but remember to keep your distance and avoid disturbing the colony.
4. Godrevy, Cornwall
Wildlife to spot: Grey and common seals
Cornwall may be associated with packed beaches during the summer holidays, but September marks the beginning of one of the best periods of the year for spotting seals along parts of its coastline. Mutton Cove, near Godrevy, is a particularly good place to look, with grey and common seals regularly hauling themselves onto the rocks between September and January. Early autumn is more likely to bring sightings of adult seals resting and socialising along the shore, while Cornwall’s main grey seal pupping season takes place later in the autumn.
The five-mile walk from Godrevy to Hell’s Mouth follows the South West Coast Path along exposed cliffs and headlands, with views down towards Mutton Cove along the way. Keep an eye on the rocks and water below and you might spot seals swimming in the shallows or resting on the shoreline. There’s no need to get close to the colony either because the coastal path provides plenty of good viewpoints, meaning you can watch the seals from a safe distance while enjoying one of Cornwall’s most dramatic stretches of coastline!
5. Holnicote Estate, Exmoor, Somerset
Best wildlife to spot: Wild red deer
The coast isn’t just about marine wildlife. Exmoor is home to around 3,000 wild red deer, making it the largest wild herd in England, and September is a great time to see them as activity starts to build ahead of the autumn rut.
The main rut takes place in October, when competing stags can be heard roaring across the landscape, but September sees the males becoming increasingly active as they prepare for the breeding season. You may even hear the first distant roars or spot stags gathering as you walk through the estate. The National Trust highlights Holnicote Estate as a good place to see Exmoor’s deer, with routes passing through woodland, open moorland and coastal countryside. If you spot a herd, we recommend keeping your dogs under close control, particularly as the rut gets underway.
6. Shetland, Scotland
Wildlife to spot: Minke whales and harbour porpoises
While whale watching is often associated with boat trips, some of Scotland‘s northern coastline offers a good chance of spotting cetaceans from dry land. Shetland is one of the UK’s best areas for land-based whale watching, with whales, dolphins and porpoises regularly recorded from coastal viewpoints around the islands.
September is particularly good for minke whales, with Shorewatch data showing a clear peak in sightings across the Northern Isles during the month and a higher likelihood of spotting them in Shetland than Orkney. Harbour porpoises can also be seen around Shetland, with larger groups often gathering in the islands’ bays during autumn and winter. As you explore the headlands and coastal paths, keep your eyes on the water beyond the shoreline and look out for the curved back and small dorsal fin of a minke whale breaking the surface.
7. New Quay, Ceredigion, Wales
Wildlife to spot: Grey seals, seal pups, and bottlenose dolphins
Cardigan Bay is famous for its bottlenose dolphins during the summer, but autumn brings another reason to explore the coast around New Quay, as grey seals begin pupping in the secluded coves and sea caves along the Ceredigion coastline.
Bird’s Rock, just south of New Quay, offers views into some of these quieter stretches of coast, where you may be able to spot seals resting on the rocks or swimming close to shore. September also falls towards the end of the best period for bottlenose dolphin sightings in Cardigan Bay, so there’s still a good chance of seeing them further out at sea. The bay is home to Britain’s largest resident population of bottlenose dolphins, meaning a walk along this stretch of coast could give you the chance to spot two of Britain’s best-known marine mammals in one trip. The walk from New Quay to Bird’s Rock is around two miles there and back, making it an easy way to combine a bit of coastal walking with some wildlife watching.
8. North Berwick to Tantallon Castle, East Lothian, Scotland
Wildlife to spot: Northern gannets
Sitting just offshore from North Berwick, Bass Rock is home to the world’s largest colony of northern gannets, making it one of Britain’s most impressive seabird spectacles. During the summer, the rock is covered with breeding birds and their chicks, but by September the colony starts to thin out as young gannets fledge and adults begin their migration towards West Africa.
That makes early autumn one of the last chances to see thousands of gannets gathered around Bass Rock before most of them leave for the winter. Numbers gradually fall through September and October, with most birds having departed by the end of October. The six-mile section of the John Muir Way between North Berwick and Tantallon Castle offers great views across to Bass Rock, so keep an eye out for birds circling above the water and gathering around the island. It’s a lovely coastal walk at any time of year, but there’s something particularly impressive about seeing the last of the gannet colony before it heads south for winter.
9. Portland Bill, Dorset
Wildlife to spot: Swallows, martins, and migrating seabirds
The Isle of Portland juts around six miles into the English Channel, making it a natural stopping point for migrating birds heading south in autumn. September can see thousands of swallows, martins and seabirds pass through the island as they gather before making the journey across the Channel.
On the right day, the numbers can be impressive, with thousands of birds recorded in single-day counts during September. The 3.5-mile Portland Bill circular walk in Dorset takes you around the southern tip of the island, passing the famous striped lighthouse, old stone quarries and exposed limestone cliffs, with plenty of opportunities to stop and look out for birds along the way. Before setting off, it’s worth popping into the Portland Bird Observatory to check the latest sightings and see what’s been passing through. You never quite know what you might spot on a September walk, particularly when migration is in full swing.
10. Holkham, Norfolk
Wildlife to spot: Pink-footed geese
The arrival of pink-footed geese on the North Norfolk coast is a sure sign that autumn is on its way. More than 400,000 of these birds spend the winter in the UK after making the journey south from their breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland.
The first groups begin arriving in September, with numbers growing rapidly through October as more birds make their way to the coast. A walk through Holkham’s pinewoods and out onto the wide, open sands gives you a good chance of seeing them flying overhead in large, noisy V-shaped formations. With pinewoods behind you, saltmarsh stretching out along the coast and thousands of geese calling overhead, it’s a lovely way to experience the changing of the seasons on the Norfolk coast.
How to watch coastal wildlife responsibly
Spotting wildlife along our shores is an incredible experience, but it is important to remember that autumn is a critical season for these animals. Seal pups are easily stressed by human presence, and mothers may abandon them if they feel threatened. Migrating birds have just completed flights of thousands of miles and need to rest and feed undisturbed.
- Give animals space: Always use binoculars or a zoom lens rather than walking closer. If an animal stops what it is doing to look at you, you might be a bit too close.
- Stick to the paths: Staying on marked clifftop trails keeps you safe from crumbling edges and prevents you from disturbing hidden nests or haul-out beaches below.
- Keep dogs on leads: Curious dogs can easily spook resting seals or deer preparing for the rut. Keep them close and under control near wildlife habitats.
- Leave young animals alone: Lone seal pups on a beach are rarely abandoned. Their mothers are usually out in the water fishing and will return once the coast is clear.
Finding your autumn seaside base
After a day spent facing the fresh coastal breeze and scanning the water for fins or wings, there is nothing quite like heading back to a warm, welcoming home by the sea. At Simply Sea Views, we have over 20,000 seaside holiday cottages across the UK and Ireland. Whether you want to warm up in a cottage with a private hot tub after a blustery headland walk, stay in a dog-friendly cottage near the coastal path, book a getaway with an indoor heated pool, or relax in a luxury oceanfront apartment, we have the ideal base for your autumn coastal escape.
