North England Bamburgh/ Dunstanburgh Advice

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Jim
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Thinking of heading down from Edinburgh to Bamburgh/ Dunstanburgh for a sunrise on Wednesday this week. Weathers looking decent but cold although the tide will be high (not sure if this is good or bad)

First time I'll have been there. Was thinking get to Bamburgh about 7AM for 2-3 hours then head down to Dunstanburgh as a shooting/ scouting trip then head up to Lindisfarne when the crossing is safe and have a shooting/ scouting trip there before heading home.

Would welcome any advice for these locations
 
Hi Jim, both Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh are dawn and lowish tide venues IMO so not viable in one trip, and as coastal shoots are tide and weather dependant. I think you are being a tad ambitious going for three venues in one trip, you may be lucky though so go for it. I usually park in Craster for Dunstanburgh and walk along the coast (30 mins) Bamburgh you can park closer though (5 mins from beach) Obviously Holy Island tide dependant (have the castle restoration works been completed yet?)
 
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Thanks Jack- only really planning Bamburgh as a main shoot, the other two are more about being there for first time, no real time pressures and trying to scout out for coming back- although sunrise and high tide are around same time so if these arent good locations for high tide then i might push them back a week and head to some spots in Fife i’ve been looking at
 
Sunrise will be over the sea at Bamburgh so it will require a bit of ingenuity to get both castle and sunrise in one shot. If you are to the west of the castle, looking east at the sunrise, the castle is significantly higher than you are. I would prefer sunset from the beach so that the sun is behind the castle. YMMV, of course.
 
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Thanks Jack- only really planning Bamburgh as a main shoot, the other two are more about being there for first time, no real time pressures and trying to scout out for coming back- although sunrise and high tide are around same time so if these arent good locations for high tide then i might push them back a week and head to some spots in Fife i’ve been looking at
Personally I would avoid high tide at Bamburgh, not such an issue at Dunstanburgh though so I would make that my main shoot and scout Bamburgh and Holy Island on Wednesday.
 
Personally I would avoid high tide at Bamburgh, not such an issue at Dunstanburgh though so I would make that my main shoot and scout Bamburgh and Holy Island on Wednesday.

Thanks, thats very helpful advice, need to drag my bones out of bed about an hour earlier but thats the joys of landscape
 
Sunrise will be over the sea at Bamburgh so it will require a bit of ingenuity to get both castle and sunrise in one shot. If you are to the west of the castle, looking east at the sunrise, the castle is significantly higher than you are. I would prefer sunset from the beach so that the sun is behind the castle. YMMV, of course.

John

Not sure about that. TPE shows thats the case mid summer but midwinter suggests the sun rises pretty much directly behind the castle when shooting from rocks to north at Bamburgh
 
John

Not sure about that. TPE shows thats the case mid summer but midwinter suggests the sun rises pretty much directly behind the castle when shooting from rocks to north at Bamburgh

Must admit I've never actually been there at sunrise but that still doesn't seem right.
 
There's a golf course at Embleton where you can park, then a 200m walk over the dunes and you'll be on a beach with a great view of Dunstanburgh at sun rise.
 
Went down this morning to dunstanburgh. First time there as noted. Arrived in car park on north at golf course just after 7am. Wandered alon* beach then track till i reached the rocks, seen someone else’s torch coming from south and followed that. Wind and surf very strong an£ tide coming in. More foam at the rocky beach than an explosion in a launderette so the traditional rocky shot was out. Went to set up for a shot with the beach and big rock in foreground with castle and bay only to find that the restraint plate on the tripod head had come loose and couldnt be put back together in situ- kick myself for the decision at 5am to not take the spare tripod with me.

Big wind, foamy sea, cloudy grey, sky came to nothing at sunrise and no tripod available. Stuck around for a couple of hours as it was a recce also, took some handheld shots for possible mono conversion and then headed off to bamburgh for a recce.

4hr round trip but learned that both sites are receding tide shots imo and check gear more thoroughly before driving 2hrs
 
Ahh well such is coastal photography!!! sea foam can be a problem here and at Marsden bay too. I know it is easier parking at the golf club but if you come up via Craster there are a few more possible shots to take imo, including Craster itself.
 
Thanks jack. As you say such is landscape and now i’ve been i’ll have a better idea next time and will add a stop from th3 south also
 
Jim

Im a Northumberland novice but living in Edinburgh too I see it as on my radar for a daytrip also.

I have a few questions... Where is best to park for Bamburgh?

I see you went down in the winter! Can I ask if there is a reason for this... Im thinking of heading down in the summer one day... or is it just the winter light is better?

All the shots ive seen on here seem to be Bamburgh at sunrise... have you tried sunset?

Can you suggest some other locations around if I was going to make a weekend of it. I was thinking a sea cruise to the Farn islands might be a good way to fill that time when the sun is high and landscape photography not an option... I do like a bit of wildlife photography too.

Any advice you can give would be gratefully appreciated.
 
Jim

Im a Northumberland novice but living in Edinburgh too I see it as on my radar for a daytrip also.

I have a few questions... Where is best to park for Bamburgh?

I see you went down in the winter! Can I ask if there is a reason for this... Im thinking of heading down in the summer one day... or is it just the winter light is better?

All the shots ive seen on here seem to be Bamburgh at sunrise... have you tried sunset?

Can you suggest some other locations around if I was going to make a weekend of it. I was thinking a sea cruise to the Farn islands might be a good way to fill that time when the sun is high and landscape photography not an option... I do like a bit of wildlife photography too.

Any advice you can give would be gratefully appreciated.


There's a big car park for Bamburgh castle just below the castle on Links Road. For Dunstanburgh you could park in the village of Craster and check it out (car park just outside the village), it has anice little harbour. Then walk along the coast a mile to the castle. If you have time there is some nice scenery walking from Craster down the coastline 2 or 3 miles towards Boulmer. Lindisfarne castle is still partly under wraps but check out the harbour. At dusk the causeway and refuge hut can be very photogenic. My favourite spot is Ross Sands. Up at the north end are two obelisks and usually a grey seal colony. Hardly anyone gos there s it's a bit of a hike.
 
There's a big car park for Bamburgh castle just below the castle on Links Road. For Dunstanburgh you could park in the village of Craster and check it out (car park just outside the village), it has anice little harbour. Then walk along the coast a mile to the castle. If you have time there is some nice scenery walking from Craster down the coastline 2 or 3 miles towards Boulmer. Lindisfarne castle is still partly under wraps but check out the harbour. At dusk the causeway and refuge hut can be very photogenic. My favourite spot is Ross Sands. Up at the north end are two obelisks and usually a grey seal colony. Hardly anyone gos there s it's a bit of a hike.

Do you have any idea when the wraps at Lindisfarne castle will be removed?
 
Jim

Im a Northumberland novice but living in Edinburgh too I see it as on my radar for a daytrip also.

I have a few questions... Where is best to park for Bamburgh?

I see you went down in the winter! Can I ask if there is a reason for this... Im thinking of heading down in the summer one day... or is it just the winter light is better?

All the shots ive seen on here seem to be Bamburgh at sunrise... have you tried sunset?

Can you suggest some other locations around if I was going to make a weekend of it. I was thinking a sea cruise to the Farn islands might be a good way to fill that time when the sun is high and landscape photography not an option... I do like a bit of wildlife photography too.

Any advice you can give would be gratefully appreciated.

It's such a beautiful coastline you could go to any beach in the area and get something. Bamburgh's great but don't limit yourself to that, you're unlikely to get anything unique as it's so popular. The light at sunrise is probably better for the castle but you can shoot sunsets on the East Coast, you're working with backlight (good for stormy skies and rainbows) and you can still get lovely colours in the sky. The key thing is not worry about what everyone else is doing and enjoy your trip, there's so much to shoot on that coast
 
The National trust web site for the castle shows a photo with the plastic cladding removed but the scaffolding still up but there is no date on the photo :confused:

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lindisfarne-castle/features/lindisfarne-castle-is-back

I visited last Monday while staying in Alnwick for a few days. Before crossing the causeway you could see in the distance what looked like a large tarpauling covered box on top of the castle. I didn't bother photographing it.
 
Jim

I have a few questions... Where is best to park for Bamburgh?

In the past I've either parked in the car park below the castle, or coming into Bamburgh with the Copper Kettle Cafe on the right and just before the castle, took a road to the left. Parked along there and walked down to the beach. Last did that over 10 years back when I used to shoot LF film. Last week I parked on the road about 100yds from the Copper Kettle.
 
Jim

Im a Northumberland novice but living in Edinburgh too I see it as on my radar for a daytrip also.

I have a few questions... Where is best to park for Bamburgh?

I see you went down in the winter! Can I ask if there is a reason for this... Im thinking of heading down in the summer one day... or is it just the winter light is better?

All the shots ive seen on here seem to be Bamburgh at sunrise... have you tried sunset?

Can you suggest some other locations around if I was going to make a weekend of it. I was thinking a sea cruise to the Farn islands might be a good way to fill that time when the sun is high and landscape photography not an option... I do like a bit of wildlife photography too.

Any advice you can give would be gratefully appreciated.

Sorry for delay, been away for a bit.

I parked to the north on the dunstan steads road and then skirted the golf course.

Shooting in winter was just that i had a couple of weeks off so had some time and getting there for a later sunrise was @ bit easier

I also plan heading down in summer
 
I find it interesting everyone saying Bamburgh is a low tide location...I only ever shoot it on a high tide as it's so messy (seaweed everywhere!) otherwise, and I've shot it a LOT. Probably going to be there tomorrow morning too as it's a high tide an hour after sunrise. As much as it is shot, it's the best location on the Northumberland coastline for sunrise as you're guaranteed to get something.
 
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