Walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle and back on this mapped 4.3 km (2.7-mile) route. Walkmates lists it as easy and allows two hours, including time for a visit; your walking pace and stops will affect the total.
Craster is a small working fishing village on the Northumberland coast, well known for its kippers, and it’s a straightforward place to start this walk. Park at the council car park just outside the village (grid ref NU256197) and follow the signed path down towards the harbour.
From the harbour, turn left and take the main coastal path north. It’s broad, obvious underfoot, and it quickly becomes one of those routes where you can just settle into a rhythm and watch the coastline unfold. Even without high cliffs it feels exposed, and in a strong northeasterly the sea can make this stretch feel properly wild. Underfoot and along the shore you’ll see dark, tough igneous rock from a dolerite intrusion, which is part of what gives the coastline here its hard, rugged edge.
Dunstanburgh Castle comes into view early and slowly grows as you approach, sitting out on a headland with a lot of empty space around it. Built in the early 1300s, it was designed as a statement as much as a fortress, and it has a long history of power struggles and conflict. Even as a ruin it’s still imposing, with substantial walls and a dramatic gatehouse. If you go inside (it’s open to visitors for a small fee or with English Heritage membership) it’s worth taking time to walk the perimeter and look back along the coast. The setting is half the point.
This is an out-and-back coastal walk. The approach crosses working farmland and can be rough, uneven or wet, so the easy grade does not mean a step-free or obstacle-free route. Check the castle's access information if anyone in your group needs a smoother path.
I've put the walk at a couple of hours, though it can be done much faster, this is to allow some time at the castle itself, which is worth a visit.
Castle access and a longer alternative
Check English Heritage's visitor information for current castle opening, admission and membership arrangements. Its directions confirm the council car park in Craster. Follow livestock notices on the coastal approach.
For a longer walk through this stretch of coast, compare the Embleton to Craster route via Dunstanburgh Castle, roughly 10.2 km.
