Scarborough to Robin Hood's Bay: a day-trip guide

You can travel from Scarborough to Robin Hood’s Bay on a regular bus service that continues between Scarborough and Middlesbrough. The Robin Hood’s Bay Tourism Association identifies the X93 as a service to Scarborough and Whitby, and National Rail’s Scarborough station onward-travel document names both the X93 and X94 for Robin Hood’s Bay.

For the return journey, the Tourism Association gives a local stop instruction: cross the road behind you onto Thorpe Lane. For Whitby, wait in the red-brick shelter; for Scarborough, wait opposite it. Service details can change, so check the official site before you go: the Robin Hood’s Bay Tourism Association provides the local travel information.

Whitby is another coastal stop on the X93 route. If you’re planning to include it, the guide to planning a Whitby day trip from Scarborough covers that outing separately.

Robin Hood’s Bay has a steep village street leading from the top of the village down towards the beach. The North York Moors National Park describes this descent as part of a walk through the village, so allow for the uphill return when deciding how much time to spend at the shore.

The steep lanes are part of the village’s layout, not a separate attraction. Take the route at a comfortable pace, and keep in mind that reaching the beach means walking down from the village’s upper streets.

At Robin Hood’s Bay, you can explore the village, its beach and the shoreline’s rock pools, or look for fossils. The National Trust recommends visiting the beach at low tide for rock pooling, fossil hunting and coastal views.

In the village, the sea-wall storyboard traces 190 million years, and the “Story of the Bay – Footprints through Time” mosaic offers another way to engage with the area’s past.

A coastal wildlife field-studies guide is available from local outlets. The village also has cafés, pubs, restaurants and small shops, so you can make time for a break between walks.

The beach is dog-friendly all year round, according to the Robin Hood’s Bay Tourism Association.

Check the tide before setting out for Boggle Hole or the beach. The National Park says Boggle Hole is inaccessible by beach for three hours either side of high tide; the Cleveland Way National Trail offers a cliff-top alternative route.

Tide conditions also affect what you can explore along the shore. For rock pools and fossils, plan around low tide, and use the Tourism Association’s tide times when preparing your visit.

For a bus return to Scarborough, wait opposite the red-brick shelter on Thorpe Lane, following the Tourism Association’s stop guidance. If your route includes Whitby, wait at the shelter instead; the X93 serves both Whitby and Scarborough.

Parking for visitors on village streets is limited. The Tourism Association recommends Whitby Park and Ride during busy months for people travelling to Whitby, so check local travel arrangements if you’re combining the two places.