Yorkshire’s seaside split personality

On a trip down memory lane, EMILY HEWARD revisits the wildly different and still wonderful resorts of Whitby and Scarborough for a tale of two coasts

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STEP TOO FAR Whitby's 199 steps

I may not have the tourist hordes of Cornwall or Instagram hotspots of Dorset, but Yorkshire's coastline is undoubtedly one of the UK's most beautiful.

Growing up in God’s Own County, I have fond childhood memories of holidays at the seaside resorts scattered along the edge of the North York Moors. Now, with a small child of my own, nostalgia had been nagging at me to return.

So with the grandparents in tow for the full family reboot, we booked a half-term holiday with two of our favourite spots on the itinerary.

Whitby and Scarborough are regularly voted among the UK's best seaside towns.

But while there might be only 20 miles separating them, they're worlds apart with their distinct charm and character.

Whitby, with its jumble of steep cobbled streets and terracotta rooftops backdropping its picturesque port, is a magnet for literature lovers and Goths thanks to the dramatic clifftop abbey ruins that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Scarborough, meanwhile, offers a more traditional British seaside experience perfect for families, with its wide sandy beaches and promenade lined with amusements and ice cream parlours.

We spent our first day in Whitby, parking up by the marina and stopping to admire the full-scale replica of HMS Endeavour - the ship on which Captain Cook made his first voyage in 1768. Previously a visitor attraction, it’s now home to The Whitby Endeavour, a floating restaurant and bar. We’d set our sights on lunch elsewhere.

Over the road is Trenchers, the town’s famous fish and chip restaurant that's just been named one of the UK's best. My family has been coming here for four generations, ever since it opened in 1980, and while The Magpie Cafe around the corner may attract longer queues and more critical acclaim, our loyalty has never wavered.