The UK's Best Autumn Beaches

The UK is home to some stunning beaches that are at their most peaceful during the autumn months. While the weather is still relatively mild, it’s the perfect time to enjoy long coastal walks away from the summer crowds. We have analysed factors including average autumn rainfall, sunshine hours and temperatures, Google reviews, bathing water quality and beach award status to uncover the best beaches to visit across England, Wales and Scotland this autumn. 

Jump to:

• The Best Autumn Beaches in England
• The Best Autumn Beaches in Wales
• The Best Autumn Beaches in Scotland

The Best Autumn Beaches in England

Photo by Dean Palmer on Unsplash

Claiming the top spot is Southwold Beach in Suffolk, with an autumn beach score of 9.46 out of 10.

Boasting an average of 5.9 hours of daily autumn sunshine and just 81.7mm of rainfall per month, this Suffolk gem enjoys pleasantly mild Autumn weather. Visitors can take in breathtaking views of Southwold Beach, along the pier, up to Gun Hill and the Millennium Beacon. This scenic walk has contributed to the beach’s impressive Google review score of 4.7 out of 5.

Coming in second is Porthmeor Beach in Cornwall, earning a score of 8.99 out of 10. 

With the highest average daily spring sunshine hours among the top 10 beaches, it’s a great option for Autumn sun seekers. The beach is located in one of Cornwall's most well-known towns, St Ives. Porthmeor Beach is a stunning, award-winning golden sand beach, famous for its dramatic Atlantic swells, world-class surfing, and breathtaking sunsets.

Taking third place is Tynemouth Longsands, scoring 8.78 out of 10. 

Tynemouth Longsands is the driest autumn beach among the top ten, with just 62mm average monthly rainfall. This is particularly important to note, as recent research revealed that the most common reason cited for not spending free time outside in the last fourteen days was bad weather.1 Tynemouth Longsands stretches over one mile of golden sand. The beach boasts a beautiful and peaceful spot which is great for nature enthusiasts hoping to enjoy birdwatching and seeing wild grey and harbour seals. 

The Best Autumn Beaches in Wales

Photo by Markus Freise on Unsplash

Claiming the top spot is Whitesands Bay Beach in Pembrokeshire, with an autumn beach score of 7.07 out of 10. 

Boasting an average of 4.9 hours of daily autumn sunshine, reaching up to around 12.1 °C in average autumn temperatures. Whitesands Bay Beach is a wide, award-winning Blue Flag sandy beach located on the St Davids Peninsula within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in west Wales. The views along the steep, high cliffs and dramatic green headlands have contributed to the beach’s impressive Google review score of 4.6 out of 5.

Coming in second is Rest Bay Beach in Bridgend, earning a score of 6.68 out of 10. 

This Blue Flag status beach is a great option for Autumn walkers. The beach is located in the South Wales town of Bridgend. Visitors say “this beach is a great place for dog walking, surfing, and bodyboarding, with excellent facilities and cheap parking. They also highlight the stunning views and the sandy beach.” (1)

Taking third place is Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire, scoring 6.47 out of 10. 

Barafundle Bay in Pembrokeshire has the highest average temperatures in the ranking, reaching up to 12.5 (˚C). Barafundle Bay is a popular beach and frequently wins awards as one of the top stretches of sand in the UK and the world.

The Best Autumn Beaches in Scotland

Photo by Chloe Forbes-Kindlen on Unsplash

Claiming the top spot is Elie Beach in Fife, with an autumn beach score of 7.88 out of 10.

Boasting an average of 5.4 hours of daily autumn sunshine and just 75.7mm of rainfall per month, Elie Beach in Fife takes the top spot, earning an overall score of 7.88 out of 10.

With an average autumn temperature of 9.9°C, Elie Beach offers pleasantly mild conditions for visitors looking to enjoy the coast during the autumn months. One Tripadvisor review said it is an “Absolutely beautiful beach, perfect for water leisure pursuits of all sorts. Lovely village as well; we stayed here for a week and explored all the local villages. Nowhere had anything on Elie for beaches, especially, but also food, nearby attractions.” 

Not only does Elie Beach in Fife have water sports attractions, but nearby cafes and pubs such as The Shipp Inn and The Mirador Café boast over four-star Google Reviews.

Coming in second is Coldingham Bay in the Scottish Borders, earning a score of 7.72 out of 10.

Coldingham Bay enjoys the highest average daily autumn sunshine of the three beaches. The beach also records an average autumn temperature of 10.3°C and receives 86mm of rainfall per month. With a 4.7 out of 5 Google rating, a ‘good’ water quality classification and Scotland’s Beach Award status, Coldingham Bay is an attractive option for an autumn coastal escape.

One TripAdvisor review states that it is a “must-see” with “incredible views and beautiful sands, with a lifeguard on duty during the peak season, well worth a trip with a lovely little surf shack nearby.”

Taking third place is Aberdeen Beach, scoring 7.11 out of 10.

Aberdeen Beach receives an average of 5.7 hours of daily autumn sunshine and 91.3mm of rainfall per month, while temperatures average 10.0°C. Despite having the highest average autumn rainfall of the three beaches, Aberdeen Beach boasts an Excellent water quality classification, a 4.5 out of 5 Google rating, and Scotland’s Beach Award status.

A TripAdvisor review states that it’s a “nice area to take a walk, with an amusement park nearby with many dining options.” 

One food truck named Croque Toasties currently has a 5-star review on Google, with one citing, “Seriously, if you're looking for the ultimate comfort food, this is it.”

When planning a beach trip, it’s important to be prepared for changeable conditions. Investing in the right walking shoes, waterproof trousers and an insulated jacket is essential for exploring the shoreline and nearby trails safely, whilst keeping you warm and dry.

Methodology 

We created a seed list of 40 well-known beaches across the United Kingdom and analysed the following four factors for each:

Average autumn monthly rainfall (mm): September, October and November rainfall figures were taken from Climate-Data.org for the beach’s location, or the nearest appropriate town/city where beach-level data was unavailable. The three monthly figures were averaged, with lower rainfall considered better.

Average autumn daily sunshine hours: average daily sunshine hours for September, October and November were taken from Climate-Data.org and averaged across the three months, with more sunshine considered better.

Average autumn temperature (°C): average temperatures for September, October and November were taken from Climate-Data.org and averaged, with higher temperatures considered better.

Google rating: the Google review rating for each beach was recorded, with higher-rated beaches considered better. Only beaches with at least 100 Google reviews were included. 

Each factor was normalised into a 0-10 score relative to the other beaches in the dataset. The four factor scores were then averaged to produce an overall score out of 10.