Arbroath Cliffs – a Sea Kayak Tour Through the Caves
A few hours.
The route
The red sandstone cliffs east of Arbroath are full of sea caves, arches and hidden beaches, and the best way to see them is from the water.
Arbroath Cliff Tours takes small groups out by sea kayak, paddling through caves with a guide who grew up on these cliffs and crews the town's lifeboat. Afterwards, the Copper Oven in the town centre bakes Neapolitan pizza in about a minute. The tours are for strong swimmers from 14.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
Book Arbroath Cliff Tours kayak tour
Book the Arbroath Cliff Tours kayak tour on its website (£85 a person, three hours, minimum age 14, swimmers only); it runs only when the sea is safe, so keep the day loose in case it moves.
Reserve a table at the Copper Oven on its website for after the tour at the weekend.
The day
Arbroath
A morning in a sea kayak among caves and arches in red cliffs, then a hot pizza in town.
About four and a half hours
Arbroath Cliff Tours
Tours meet at the Arbroath Cliffs car park in Victoria Park, by the toilets and the food van at the east end of the seafront; the signs there show how long you can park. The kayak tour lasts three hours, two and a half of them on the water, for at most six people. You paddle into caves and land on beaches that can only be reached from the sea, hear the smuggling stories and, when the tide allows, try a small cliff jump. Seals and dolphins are often seen. It costs £85 a person and must be booked. You must be able to swim, be fairly fit and comfortable in cold water, and be able to climb back on a kayak; the weight limit is 17 stone. The minimum age is 14, with one adult for each under-18. Every tour depends on the sea and the weather, and in swell or wind it can be called off on the day.
6 min by car
Copper Oven
Lunch
Lunch is at the Copper Oven on Applegate, in the middle of Arbroath, 6 minutes' drive west. It's a busy little pizzeria with an open kitchen, where Neapolitan pizzas made with flour, tomatoes and mozzarella from Naples bake in about a minute at around 450 degrees. It's fully licensed and opens from 10am every day, until 9pm from Sunday to Thursday and 10pm on Friday and Saturday. You can reserve a table on its website, worth doing after a weekend tour.
If it rains
Rain alone does not stop a tour, since you'll be wet anyway; wind and swell do, and then the tour is moved. Lunch is under a roof.
Photograph by Copper Oven via Google