10 of the best coast roads to drive in the UK & Ireland this summer

Road Trips

Jun 21

Written By Nik Berg

The sun’s out and the coast is calling. Whether it’s the lure of the Atlantic, the charm of the English Channel or the cool (translation: freezing) waters of the North Sea that floats your boat Detour has a road trip to fit.

Day Detours

Sussex, ENGLAND

This short but fun loop to Beachy Head offers superb sea views and the chance for a pit stop to spy on the local sea birds or even an overnight stay in a lighthouse. Find out more.

Norfolk, ENGLAND

White sand, sea lions basking on the beaches, it could almost be California. In fact it is, if you visit the small seaside village just outside Great Yarmouth. Find out more.

Isle of Wight

You don’t need a DeLorean to travel back in time. Just take a drive along the Military Road on the Isle of Wight. Find out more..

Anglesey, Wales

You could lap the race circuit of Trac Mon or take a tour of the entire island instead and soak up seascapes and views of Snowdonia in the distance. Find out more.

Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland

From the Red Arch to the Giant’s Causeway this 80-mile trip is a non-stop natural wonder. Find out more.

Isle of Skye, Scotland

It’s ambitious to complete a circuit of Skye in a day, but Detour did it. And we were rewarded with otherworldly scenery and sensational seafood. Find out more.

Grand Tours

North Coast 500, Scotland

It might be a victim of its own success, but tackle the NC500 when the caravaners and campers aren’t plodding along and it is one of the most spectacular drives in the world. Find out more.

South West 660, England

At the opposite end of the United Kingdom is an even longer route that takes in the Jurassic Coast, the Atlantic coast and much, much more in its 660 miles. Find out more.

West coast of Ireland

Wonderful, whatever the weather. That’s our verdict on the wild west coast of Ireland after a trip from Cork to the Dingle Peninsula. Find out more.

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Skipping from island to island on ferries and causeways you’ll discover an untamed landscape of vast lochs and deserted sandy beaches. Find out more.

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Detour #271: Going Topless on the Kentish Riviera, UK

A roof-down road trip along the Kent coast from Margate to Dungeness reveals a gallery of art, nature and science.

Detour #269: Beachcombing in London, UK

Did you know that London has a string of seven beaches? Neither did we until we got hold of a beach car and went exploring the city.

Detour #265: The Wolds and Bends of Lincolnshire, UK

Across the flat fenlands of Lincolnshire you’ll find some of the straightest roads in the UK, but if you know where to look there are brilliant bends to be discovered.

Detour #264: Revisiting the Old Military Road, Scotland

Time travelling in a futuristic MG Cyberster, John Mahoney returns to a road full of memories.

Detour #257: A Taste of Orkney, UK

Tranquil, mysterious and packed with cracking driving roads Orkney is awesome in any vehicle – even a broken one.

Detour #255: Driving the Picture Perfect Wye Valley, UK

The Wye Valley lays claim to being the first place ever described as picturesque. Detour discovers why – and Wye.

Detour #254: London to Africa and Back in a Budget Hatchback

Griff Gough-Walters drove a tiny Hyundai i10 2,500 miles from London to North Africa in four days, and then a month later, did the return journey in three.

Detour #253: A Capital Run Around W.O. Bentley’s London, UK

What better way to explore Bentley’s London history than in a modern interpretation of his most famous model?

Detour #247: A Twiddle on the Cat and Fiddle, Derbyshire-Cheshire, UK

Now home to the highest distillery in England the cat and fiddle has a sobering reputation.

Detour #238: The Steepest Road in England, Yorkshire, UK

Rosedale Chimney Bank is so steep that cyclists call it The Chain Breaker, but what’s it like to drive?

Detour 235: Bowling through the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, UK

Enjoy a rollercoaster ride across Lancashire thanks to our friends at Rush Magazine.

Detour #233: Across the New Forest in a silent classic, UK

It’s good to take your foot off the pedal once in a while. To slow down and take in the surroundings instead of watching them rush by in a blur, and a drive across the New Forest will force you to do just that.

Detour #229: The best of Buckinghamshire and beyond in an exceptional E-Type

A half-million-pound Jaguar and some delicious diner food make this road trip on the edge of the Chilterns even more charming.

Detour #666: Britain's Most Haunted Road

The A616 Stocksbridge Bypass in south Yorkshire is widely believed to be the most haunted road in the UK.

Detour #222: The Best of Snowdonia on Four, Three and Two Wheels, Wales, UK

If it’s got wheels then it’s fit for a Detour, we say. Putting that theory into practice Nik Berg explores Snowdonia by Caterham, Morgan and Norton.

Detour #221: Classic cars, Caffeine and Clarkson in the Cotswolds, UK

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Detour #212: Hounding the Beasts of Dartmoor in a KAMM 912c, UK

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Detour #208: Beachy Head, East Sussex, UK

There is no beach at Beachy Head, but there is a fabulous road with commanding coastal views and cracking corners.

Detour #183: The Legends of the Wales Way, UK

Scotland has the North Coast 500, England has the South West 660 and Wales weighs in with 440 magical, mythical miles of the Wales Way.

Detour #181: Dales, Moors and Much More, Yorkshire, UK

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Detour #176: Fairway to heaven: a golf drive with a difference in the Tweed Valley, Scotland, UK

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Detour #168: Horsing around Wessex, UK

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Detour #161: Three-wheelin' through the Malvern Hills in a Morgan Super 3

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Detour #156: Wolds apart in undiscovered Yorkshire, UK

Squeezed between Yorkshire’s urban centres of Leeds and York, its busy east coast holiday resorts and the open spaces of the moors is an under-appreciated region rich in history and cracking driving roads.

Detour #154: Electrifying the Norfolk coast, UK

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Detour #145: The South West 660, UK

The South West 660 is a new and soon-to-be iconic route around the British coastline from Dorset to Somerset. Simon Heptinstall helped plan it so who better to be our tour guide?

Aural pleasure: Britain's best-sounding tunnels

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Nik Berg https://detour-roadtrips.com