Beachcombing

There’s something super-relaxing about beachcombing – and the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a stunning place to do it. 

You can see the multicoloured stones and rocks at Allonby, the driftwood around Mawbray, sea potato urchins, the egg cases of dog fish, rays and sharks called ‘mermaid’s purses’ and the quirky clusters of common whelk egg cases that some call ‘monkey brains’! 

There are other things you’ll find all the way along the Solway Coast. Look for seaglass along the shoreline – old pieces of discarded glass which have been weathered by the waves. And then there are the shells which were once home to the creatures which live in and around the Solway Firth. There’s seaweed too, and other plantlife which gets washed ashore. 

There’s a great Solway Firth Partnership beachcombing guide you can download here or one specifically about shells here. 

But there are more unpleasant things which get washed up on our lovely coastline – like plastic bottles and litter.  

The Love my Beach campaign tells you how you can help keep our shores cleaner – and perhaps you’d like to give them a helping hand by carefully picking up a few bits of litter and dropping them in the bin after each visit, leaving this place cleaner and even lovelier than when you arrived. 

We regularly get asked if you’re allowed to take things home from the beach.  

We’re not going to stop you putting a couple of pebbles or shells in your pocket as a keepsake, or even grabbing a bit of driftwood or seaweed for your garden, but really we’d rather you resisted.  

The creatures which share these shores with us need that weed and driftwood for food and shelter. So, if you do want a little souvenir, go ahead – just please leave plenty behind for our human and wildlife visitors to enjoy. 

If you do want to collect something, please pick up some plastic while you’re here!