Scarborough/Whitby on a tight budget

machairs

Booked a Cottage in Scalby, Scarborough for our Summer hold this year. Money is tight so will need to be very careful with the little we will have.

Looking for ideas for amusing our 4 children aged between 12 and 2 which will amuse and hopefully tire them out for nothing or next to nothing in the area.

We are driving down from Scotland and hope to make use of public transport to save on fuel and parking. Is there a decent bus service?

We discovered Peasholm Park and the Naval Warfare event previously so that is a definite


Thanks in advance

toozie_2

There is a fantastic play park (slides, swings etc, but much more) in Whitby, we only stayed a long weekend 2 years ago so I can't direct you. Great laugh for adults and children, there will be something there for ages 2-12.

Fossil hunting on the beach/near the cliffs, followed by a picnic prepared back at the cottage.

General playing rounder's/football on the beach, rock pooling with fishing nets, followed by picnic.

At home my kids loved going crabbing off a pier (not sure where you'd go in the Whitby area). Hours of fun for little cost. Crabbing lines from £ shop, make your own bait from raw meat/fish, put into washing tablet bags, tie on and take a bucket to collect the crabs! Release them later onto the beach.

Obviously this wouldn't be safe for the 2 year old tho.

All depends in the weather though!

I would menu plan if you aren't eating out, and take as much food as possible with you-if you have room. When we used to go to cottages with young children, and no money, I had a box under the stairs where I put in a couple of grocery items each week to prepare for the holiday.
Or check where the nearest Lidl/Aldi is to the cottage, and make the holiday food shop part of your holiday when you get there.

ljonski

Congratulations on your choice of holiday. My first thought would be to take bikes with you as not only you can cycle down the hill to Scarborough , there is an excellent disused railway line between Scarb.. and Whitby excellent for walking and cycling.The march up to Whitby priory should be worth it and don't forget Robin hoods bay and the drop down to it. Moorsbus aint a patch on what it used to be but family tickets are available,but work out your route (linear is quite possible before you go!
http://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/visiting/public-transport/moorsbus
There are other great cycle routes and walking around the area including the toll road (free to cyclists) from Thornton le dale to Scarbourough. And don't forget Seaworld. Maybe a trip to Bempton cliffs by train or bus or carwould interest those who are interested in ornithology.

p00hsticks

toozie wrote: »

At home my kids loved going crabbing off a pier (not sure where you'd go in the Whitby area). Hours of fun for little cost. Crabbing lines from £ shop, make your own bait from raw meat/fish, put into washing tablet bags, tie on and take a bucket to collect the crabs! Release them later onto the beach.

There were loads of kids crabbing in Whitby harbour (just inland of the swing bridge) when I was there last... Given there was about a six foot drop to sea level, it amazed me how stupid the crabs were to hang on that far when they got pulled out !

toozie_2

p00hsticks wrote: »

There were loads of kids crabbing in Whitby harbour (just inland of the swing bridge) when I was there last... Given there was about a six foot drop to sea level, it amazed me how stupid the crabs were to hang on that far when they got pulled out !

I always thought on similar lines (no pun intended!) I'm sure we used to catch the same crabs! So basically they get stuck into the bait, get hauled up at least 6 foot, get put in a bucket, are let go. Then the silly things do the same thing over again!
Maybe they know it's the only way to get something good to eat, although they could be caught out by someone catching who isn't going to be kind and let them back into the water!

NOWTHEN_3

The buses from Scalby all go into the town centre and run every 30 min but they do stop about 7pm.

The beach is the best free choice (weather permitting) with the north bay being the better choice due to lack of amusements

The north bay also has a area where (not sure how long ago you went to scarborough but it is where the outdoor pool with the big slides was) you can drive mini tanks and do a laser quest type thing near the beach not sure how much this costs. If you do go to the beach you have to pay for the toilets i'm afraid cannot remember how much they are but you can get a family ticket that lasts all day and is worth getting if you plan on spending all day there.

it would be easier to drive to north bay from scalby than get the bus and park near the indoor swimming pool just above the big grass car park there is a road and you can park there for free all day outside the hotels as it is not in the disk zone and will only take 5 min to walk to beach down the hill.

Dalby forest is a good day out about 20 min drive from Scalby it costs £7 to go in per car but there its lots of walking trails and some play areas for kids which are free, also if you have bikes there is some good mountain biking trials.