Although travel to the coast existed prior to the mid-19th century, it was the development of the railway network which opened the coast to a wider group of travellers, and led to the development of both the "seaside resort" and the coastal attraction.

Whilst developments in the late 20th century reduced the popularity of the many British coastal resort towns compared to sunny destinations abroad, many coastal destinations in the UK retain a charm and unique character, whilst also showing the flux of continual repositioning as the dynamic tastes of travellers remain as varied as the coast itself.

Generally, the coastline of the UK (especially England) is considered as the South Coast, East Coast and West Coast. More specific portions are also identified in reference to the bodies of water they face, such as the Bristol Channel, Thames Estuary, The Wash, Morecambe Bay, Firth of Forth.

See also United_Kingdom#Climate

The UK Meteorological Office has a guide to the Marine forecasts it provides. Many of the forecasts can be accessed from an index page.

• Britain's coast has extensive wildlife (including marine life), and many sea-birds.
• 57.76-7.021 Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Full of migratory birds, in particular on St Kilda. Also good for seeing seals, and if you are lucky whales.
• 51.7375-5.2952 Skomer, Wales is probably most famous for its breeding seabirds, most notably puffins and Manx Shearwaters.
• 55.622-1.6283 Farne Islands, Northumberland is good for seeing guillemots and puffins
• 55.766667-6.154 Islay is a major winter home for geese, and 35,000 barnacle geese can visit in a year.
• The 59.04-35 Orkney Islands are a major home for seals.

The British coast has many attractive seaside villages and towns which have evolved from humble fishing settlements.

• Polperro, a charming Cornish fishing port, also known historically for its links with smuggling. There is a small museum covering both.
• Morecambe, once the gateway to the tidal expanse of Morecambe Bay
• St Ives, once a fishing port, it has attracted many artists, and is a quieter seaside resort.
• Whitby, which used to be a fishing harbour and centre for Jet, the town later acquired a reputation owing to its literary heritage, and associations with the 1970s counter-culture.

The British seaside, which developed in the 19th century, retains some of its kitsch charm in places, even if major resorts have continued to evolve to suit different niches.

Some resorts can be lively: Brighton has extensive night-life, whereas Newquay is widely seen by many as England's surf capital. By comparison quieter resorts such as Torquay, Bournemouth, or Eastbourne might suit an older generation. Traditional resorts such as Blackpool, Scarborough and Skegness retain a middle of the road appeal.

Scotland has many coastal towns, and the "seaside" resort developed differently from its English counterpart. In places like St Andrews, the wide expanse of landward dunes was the perfect location for the sport of golf to develop and thrive.

• Ayr
• Largs
• St Andrews
• Stonehaven

Scotland also has the island groups of the Hebrides, Shetland and Orkney.

Since 1824, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has had a strong connection with Britain's coast and its maritime history. Many maritime museums have exhibits relating to them. Larger lifeboats can be seen moored or alongside in many harbours, or the sheds for the smaller inshore lifeboats; these are not normally open to visitors, but do have occasional fundraising open days, and you may sometimes see the volunteers training on a weekend.

Main article: Lighthouses

• There are many lighthouses around the British coast. Most of these remain in operation, although they are all now automatic.

Many museums around the coast have exhibitions on maritime history, but there are some that specialise in this:

• 51.4811-0.00566 The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, ☏ +44 20 8858-4422. Contains the UK's national collection of maritime artefacts (although do not expect much in the way of whole ships). Free.  
• 51.39650.52927 The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, info@chdt.org.uk. An old naval dockyard now run as a museum. There are several ships open for tours including an 1878 sloop, a 1944 destroyer and a 1962 submarine. Also has the RNLI's collection of historic lifeboats, and a large working ropeworks.  
• 50.801-1.118 Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth. The Historic Dockyard has a number of historic ships including the Mary Rose, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior 1860. In the Historic Dockyard is also Royal Naval Museum and Action Stations - an interactive look at the navy of today.  
• 55.6112-4.679079 Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine.  
• 57.14651-2.094910 Aberdeen Maritime Museum, Aberdeen. This museum tells the story of Aberdeen's relationship with the sea, from fishing to trade to North Sea oil. It offers an extraordinary insight into the mechanics and technology of ships and oil rigs, Aberdeen's rich maritime history and the lives of some of the people who have worked offshore in the North Sea for the past 500 years.  
• 53.316672-4.63579211 Holyhead Maritime Museum, Holyhead, ☏ +44 1407 769745.  
• 53.40126-2.9928512 Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool. Dedicated to the maritime history of Liverpool, complete with galleries on customs and excise and emigration to the New World. There are also a number of vessels to see, such as the Mersey river tug Brocklebank and the river cargo carrier Wyncham. A museum permanent gallery is devoted to the Titanic, Lusitania and Empress of Ireland, ocean liners lost at sea from 1912-1915 with 3700 fatalities.  
• 51.33151.422413 The Maritime Museum, Ramsgate. Containing four galleries examining the maritime history of the local area and describing the development of the eponymous harbour. Also featured are many artefacts from the various shipwrecks of the treacherous Goodwin Sands.  
• 53.7439-0.33851414 Maritime Museum, Kingston upon Hull. It is a huge, quaintly old-fashioned museum dedicated to Hull's glorious conquest of the High Seas and to the often tragic sacrifices made to it. There are displays to interest all ages from the skeleton of a whale to models of ships to explanations of fishing methods.  
• 50.151389-5.06166715 National Maritime Museum (Cornwall), Falmouth, ☏ +44 1326 313388. Home of the National Maritime Museum's small boat collection and other exhibits.  
• 54.053783-2.80558316 Lancaster Maritime Museum, Lancaster. Reflecting Lancaster's 18th-century period as a sea port, along with displays on the canal. 

• There's a long distance path around the entire coast of Wales, including the scenic beauty of the rugged western coast, the charms of the remoter Pembrokeshire Coast, and where the very tip of the South Wales valleys meet the Bristol Channel.
• The South West Coast Path is a long-distance coastal path that allows you to walk around the entire coast of the South West region of England. It can be walked in a single trek, over several weeks, or you can walk a short section in a day trip. The coast path includes the entire coastline of Devon and Cornwall.
• The Fife Coast path is a regional path of around 117 miles (188 km).

The coastal waters are tidal, with two high tides most days. This is something to beware of when walking on a beach - a half-mile of sand can rapidly be covered in water. Tide times are available online, but the free information only covers the following week.

There are a few places where the tidal flows are worth watching:

• 56.1536-5.707061 Gulf of Corryvreckan. A tidal whirlpool which can be seen from the shore of the Isle of Jura, or on boat trips from near Oban. (updated May 2019)
• 51.85-2.3322 The Severn Bore (near Gloucester). A tidal bore on the River Severn, which can be seen on about 130 days per year. The Severn Estuary has a tidal range of about 13 m. The bore is popular with experienced surfers. (updated May 2019)