Sam Hooke

Flamborough Cliffs

All trips at this location:

Distance7.81 km / 4.85 miles
Elevation gain109 m / 358 ft
Duration5h
Moving2h

We visited Flamborough to see the puffins. This walk took us from North Landing, following the coastal path down to the lighthouse at Flamborough Head and back again. There was ample parking, the trail is unmissable and in good condition. There are toilets at both ends. There are good spots for a picnic on the trail, but be prepared for a bit of wind.

Outward §

One puffin on a distant cliff.
The first puffin we spotted. It’s a bit like playing a game of Where’s Wally amongst all the guillemots and razorbills.
Two puffins on some distant grass ledge.
Keep an eye out for the orange feet and beaks.
Rock pipit.
Possibly a rock pipit (Anthus petrosus).
Looking down from the cliffs into a cove.
A distant puffin.
Looking through binoculars at the puffin.
Looking through binoculars at the puffin.
Looking along the coast to a distant lighthouse.
Approaching the Flamborough Head Lighthouse.

Lighthouse §

At the easternmost portion of Flamborough Head is the lighthouse, which overlooks a colony of seals, and sand martins nest in the cliffs.

A sand martin in flight.
A sand martin (Riparia riparia) zipping the cliffs near its nest.
A few dozen seals lounging out on rocks by the shore.
The seal colony out on the rocks.
Men up a platform cleaning the lighthouse.
The lighthouse was being cleaned.

Return §

We returned back the same way, following the clifftops, but took a closer look at some bays that we had nipped past on the way over.

Some white birds with black heads standing around on top of some rocks.
A group of guillemots on the rocks.
Meadow pipit.
Possibly a meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis).
A puffin hanging out on a ledge.
A puffin hanging out on a ledge.
A single rock stack in the middle of a large bay.
Overlooking Queens Rock, a lone stack within the largest sea bird occupied bay on this stretch of the walk. The view felt like an amphitheatre, and the noisy commotion from all the birds was really quite loud.
A single puffin neatly tucked up.
A single puffin neatly tucked up.
A lone puffin at the top of the cliffs.
Close shot of a puffin looking down.
Close shot of a puffin with head tilted.
Two puffins, one walking on the rocks, the other peeping out from a small cave.
Two puffins, one in a sneaky nest.
Four puffins hanging out on the cliff edge.
Four puffins hanging out on the cliff edge.
A large cliff face covered with sea birds.
A final look back at the crowded cliffs.

In total, we saw a couple dozen puffins, which I gather was pretty good going. Most of the puffins are quite far away, typically being perched halfway down the cliff face. The closest puffins were those on the western side of Queens Rock, one of which happened to be near the top of the cliff. For the most part there are no fences, and the cliff edges are fragile and evidently collapse from time to time, so there is a careful balance of getting closer for a good view versus not putting yourself in danger. A better lens would definitely help next time!