There’s something almost ridiculous about a British sunset. You’re standing on a clifftop or a beach or the edge of a loch, wind in your hair, maybe a flask of something warm in your hand, and suddenly the whole sky turns every shade of orange, pink, and gold you didn’t know existed. I’ve chased a fair few of them over the years, and I can tell you honestly: the best sunsets UK summer produces are genuinely world-class. You don’t need to fly to Santorini. You just need to know where to stand.
Why summer sunsets in the UK are worth the effort
The UK sits at a latitude where summer evenings stretch on gloriously late. In June, the sun doesn’t set until well after 9pm in most of England, and not until nearly 11pm in Shetland. That long, low-angle light creates what photographers call the “golden hour” on steroids. Warm atmospheric dust, sea spray, and the particular moisture of British air all scatter light beautifully. The Met Office notes that clear evenings following a day of patchy cloud often produce the most dramatic colour. So that slightly grumpy British sky earlier in the day? It might just be setting you up for something spectacular.
Here’s my round-up of the spots I’d go back to in a heartbeat, plus a few I’ve had on my list for years.
Durdle Door and the Jurassic Coast, Dorset
Dorset’s Jurassic Coast is one of those places that feels almost too good to be real. The limestone arch of Durdle Door frames a sunset so perfectly it looks staged. The sky bleeds orange behind the rock as the sun drops towards the horizon, and the sea catches every last drop of colour. Arrive at least an hour before sunset to walk the South West Coast Path down to the beach and find your spot. Mid-July to late August is prime time here, with sunset typically falling between 9pm and 9:20pm. Bring a picnic, get there early, and ignore anyone who says the path down is too steep. It really isn’t.
The Pembrokeshire coast, Wales
Pembrokeshire’s westward-facing cliffs practically beg you to watch the sun go down. Marloes Sands is my personal favourite: a wide, quiet beach backed by red sandstone cliffs, facing almost due west. In high summer, the light there does something extraordinary as it hits the iron-rich rock face. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has some of the darkest skies in Wales, which means once the sun disappears, you’re still having a good time. St Bride’s Bay and Barafundle Bay are equally worth the walk. Sunset here in July lands around 9:30pm, so you’ve the whole evening to potter before the show starts.
Isle of Skye, Scotland
If you’ve seen a photo of a Scottish sunset recently, there’s a reasonable chance it was taken on Skye. The Quiraing, the Old Man of Storr, and the Fairy Pools all pull in their share of golden-hour admirers. But I’d point you somewhere slightly quieter: the Neist Point lighthouse on the westernmost tip of the island. You park up, walk about twenty minutes across moorland, and arrive at a clifftop perch looking straight out over the Minch. On a clear evening, the sky turns every shade between lavender and deep amber. Sunset in late June from Skye can be as late as 10:45pm, which gives you plenty of time to factor in the very necessary pub stop at the Stein Inn beforehand.
Orkney clifftops: the north’s best-kept open secret
People underestimate Orkney. I’d argue the clifftops above Yesnaby on Mainland Orkney produce some of the most theatrical skies I’ve ever stood underneath. The Atlantic stretches to the horizon, sea stacks jut up from the water below you, and the light in high summer barely dips to darkness at all. It’s what locals call the “simmer dim”, that extraordinary northern twilight that lingers for hours. Sunset in Kirkwall at midsummer isn’t until almost 10:30pm, but the sky stays glowing long past midnight. If you’re willing to make the trip (and it’s worth it), the Brough of Birsay at low tide, with the ancient Pictish ruins in the foreground and the sky behind, is something I’ll remember for a very long time.
Croyde Bay and Baggy Point, Devon
North Devon doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Croyde Bay faces northwest, which means summer sunsets arrive right on the horizon line in front of you. Baggy Point, the headland at the southern end of the bay, is a ten-minute walk from the village and gives you an elevated view with surfers catching the last waves in the foreground. It’s relaxed, it’s beautiful, and there are decent pubs within a short stumble. If you’re planning a wider summer adventure and want to mix sunset-spotting with outdoor fun, the same stretch of coast connects beautifully with beaches ideal for wild swimming, something we’ve covered in depth over at our guide to wild swimming spots across the UK.
Seven Sisters, East Sussex
The chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters are more famous as a daytime destination, but catch them on a clear summer evening and they’re transformed. Walk west from Birling Gap towards Beachy Head and you’ll find a series of natural viewing points as the sun dips behind the Sussex Downs. The white chalk reflects the warm light beautifully, turning almost pink in the last twenty minutes before sunset. It’s surprisingly uncrowded in the evenings once the day-trippers head home, which makes it feel genuinely special.
Practical tips for catching the best light
According to the Met Office’s guide to red skies, the most vivid sunsets happen when there’s a layer of high cloud to the west while the horizon itself stays clear. Check the forecast the afternoon before and look for exactly that combination. A completely cloudless sky often produces a beautiful sunset, but layered cloud turns it into something extraordinary.
Arrive early enough to find your spot and settle in. Rushing to a clifftop ten minutes before sunset is stressful and you miss the gradual build-up. I usually aim for an hour beforehand. Pack a light layer even in summer, because coastal evenings cool quickly once the sun dips. And honestly, put your phone down for at least a few minutes. Take the photo, by all means, but then just watch it. The whole thing is over in under an hour and it’s worth being present for.
If you’re planning a longer summer trip around the best sunsets UK summer can offer, consider pairing your sunset destinations with a proper overnight stay rather than a day trip. Our guide to the best UK glamping sites for families has some brilliant suggestions for bases near many of the coastal spots mentioned above, and waking up near a west-facing beach the morning after a spectacular sunset is a very fine thing indeed.
The sky doesn’t charge an entry fee. All it asks is that you show up.