Exploring Northumberland from the water is a quality experience for everyone
If you’re looking for dog-friendly boat trips in Northumberland, Seahouses is one of the best places to start. Many popular sailings along this coast leave from the harbour, with several operators allowing well-behaved dogs on board for wildlife cruises, island trips, and scenic tours.
If you’re planning a stay nearby, these handpicked dog-friendly cottages in Seahouses put you close to the harbour and some of the easiest days out on the coast.
Below, we’ve pulled together a growing list of boat trips that welcome dogs, with key details to help you choose the right one. From puffin-spotting trips to calm river cruises, Northumberland has some great options for dog-friendly boat tours.
If you want more ideas once you’re back on land, have a look at our dog-friendly list of days out in Northumberland too.
Highlights: puffin nesting sites, seal pup sightings, whale watching tours, wildlife photography trips.
Serenity Farm Island Boat Tours is another large company that offers boat tours all year around the Farne Islands, considered one of Britain’s most stunning wildlife habitats. Again, they offer a variety of trips, including photography trips, whale-watching trips, and landings.
Serenity boats have four well-equipped catamaran vessels with toilets available, and all serenities have full commentary as you tour around the Farne Islands, learning about the area’s wildlife, geography and history.
The tours are run by a small family with a team of friendly staff who offer visitors the best sailing experience. They’re licensed to land on the National Trust islands and provide a great hour-and-a-half sail around them when the grey seals and newborn pups are born.
In the winter, you’re bound to see various animals, including, if you’re lucky, a Mink Whale, a Bridled Tern, a Manx Shearwater, a Blue Throat, and a Razorbill, to name a few.
Highlights: puffin seabird colonies, grey seal colonies, seabird nesting sites, private charter cruises.
Billy Shields boat trips are among the most popular and famous on the Northumberland Coast. They offer a variety of cruises and trips, including a puffin seabird cruise, staple landing trip, sunset cruises, grey seal trip, dive charters, private charters, and a birdwatch cruise.
Their boat fleet consists of eight ranging in size, all offering different perspectives when out on the sea. The boat tours will help you explore the 15 to 20 islands, depending on the state of the tide. Between April and July, about 23 seabird colonies nest here in their natural habitat, including around 43,000 pairs of puffins.
You may be lucky enough to see a colony of grey or Atlantic seals, with an average of 2000 pups born on the islands annually.
Your dogs are welcome on the trips if they’re on a lead and well-behaved. The main boat fleet is stationed at Seahouses Harbor, and pay and display parking is available near the beach and in the village.
Explore Northumberland With Your Dog
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Highlights: Longstone Lighthouse landings, all-day wildlife excursions, bird sanctuary tours, Staple Island landings.
Golden Gate trips sail from April 1st until October 31st. Some of their trips involve exploring Longtone Island, which is famous for its lighthouse and the only boat allowed to land there.
If you’re after a more extended tour that lasts approximately two and a half to three hours, then book it for the farm bird sanctuary, which leaves the harbour at 1230 daily. This will offer a brilliant tour of the islands to see the seabird and grey seal colony.
They also offer an all-day excursion, which lasts approximately five to six hours. This excursion is perfect for photographers, local history enthusiasts, and ornithologists who want to observe the birds in more detail. It usually involves landing on two islands, Staple and Inner Farne, although it can also be adapted to land on Longstone.
Dogs are welcome on board the boats and are allowed on Longstone, the only farne island they are allowed on, but they must be kept on leads at all times. They’re not permitted in Long Stone Lighthouse, however.
Highlights: Chain Bridge route, estuary wildlife trips, panoramic coastline views, Kittiwake colony visits.
Berwick boat trips off various trips, including the chain bridge trip, which takes you from Berwick-Upon-Tweed past the Northumberland countryside.
As you sail under the lower bridges before coming to the chain bridge, which is approximately 200 years old, this trip lasts around two hours.
They also have an estuary trip, which sails out of the river tweed and into the North Sea. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a range of wildlife and some seals and dolphins.
There’s also a sea trip that offers a different perspective of Berwick Upon Tweed. You can look at it from a distance and admire the panoramic views of the Northumberland coastline.
You will also see a range of seabirds and hopefully some larger animals. The coastal cruise to St Abbs is one of the longer cruises, lasting approximately three and a half hours.
You will call at the Needle’s Eye Kittywake Colony just past the cliffs between Berwick and Burnmouth before heading north towards the Berkshire coast with brilliant views of Coldingham sands.
This is an ideal trip for those who love stunning scenery and keen photographers. The boat, the Border Belle, accommodates up to 60 passengers and is licensed by the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency.
Highlights: Chain Bridge route, estuary wildlife trips, panoramic coastline views, Kittiwake colony visits.
Berwick boat trips off various trips, including the chain bridge trip, which takes you from Berwick-Upon-Tweed past the Northumberland countryside.
As you sail under the lower bridges before coming to the chain bridge, which is approximately 200 years old, this trip lasts around two hours.
They also have an estuary trip, which sails out of the river tweed and into the North Sea. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a range of wildlife and some seals and dolphins.
There’s also a sea trip that offers a different perspective of Berwick Upon Tweed. You can look at it from a distance and admire the panoramic views of the Northumberland coastline.
You will also see a range of seabirds and hopefully some larger animals. The coastal cruise to St Abbs is one of the longer cruises, lasting approximately three and a half hours.
You will call at the Needle’s Eye Kittywake Colony just past the cliffs between Berwick and Burnmouth before heading north towards the Berkshire coast with brilliant views of Coldingham sands.
This is an ideal trip for those who love stunning scenery and keen photographers. The boat, the Border Belle, accommodates up to 60 passengers and is licensed by the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency.
Highlights: Inner Farne birdwatching, Staple Island photography, Arctic Tern colonies, Guillemot breeding sites.
This tour company operates two fishing boats. St Cuthbert II, built in 1983, is 39 feet in length and can accommodate 73 passengers and two crew members.
The second boat, St Cuthbert III, was built in 1989 and is also 39 feet in length. It can accommodate 80 passengers with two crew members and has two liferafts.
There is a selection of boat trips. The first is to Inner Farne, the largest of the islands, measuring around 10 acres in size. During the breeding season, it’s home to Arctic Terns, Guillemots, and Common Terns. The second trip is to Staple Island, the leading bird sanctuary and an excellent sport for wildlife photographers.
How much is it to go to the Farne Islands?
It all depends on what providers you use, but adult tickets for the boat trip usually cost between £12-15 and for children £7-10. Small children will typically go free, depending on their age.
Where do boats go from to the Farne Islands?
The boats to Farne Islands depart from Seahouses harbour daily.
We hope you enjoyed this list of boat tours and trips off the coast. You can have peace of mind as your canine companion won’t have to stay at home and is welcome on board each vessel from the companies mentioned above. Hopefully, you’ll experience stunning views and brilliant wildlife on Holy Island, Rocky Island and Longstone Island.
