COAST PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE THE 193 COUNTRIES WALKS/RUNS AROUND UK SPORT VENUES ------------------------ EXTERNAL LINKS WORLD WALKS

COAST OF BRITAIN CHALLENGE: Approximately 6,000 miles: JOHN O'GROATS - ABERDEEN - EDINBURGH - NEWCASTLE - WHITBY - SKEGNESS - NORFOLK BROADS - LOWESTOFT COLCHESTER - THAMES ESTUARY - MARGATE - DOVER - HASTINGS - BEACHY HEAD - BRIGHTON - PORTSMOUTH BOURNEMOUTH - WEYMOUTH - TORQUAY - PLYMOUTH - LAND's END - NEWQUAY - MINEHEAD SEVERN BRIDGE - CARDIFF - TENBY - ABERYSTWYTH - SNOWDON - LLANDUNO LIVERPOOL  - BLACKPOOL  - LAKE DISTRICT - CARLISLE - AYR GLASGOW - BEN NEVIS - ULLAPOOL - JOHN O'GROATS

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UK COASTLINE Estimated distance (including 6,000+ islands) 11,323 miles Estimated distance (excluding islands) 6,000 miles INTRODUCTION The coastline of the United Kingdom is a remarkable area with a rich variety of coastal landscapes, activities and habitats, both human and natural. The coast is also very accessible to the UK population, as it surrounds us on all sides and is only around two hours away, by car, from anywhere in the UK. The majority of the population visit the coast at least once a year and for some people who live near the coast it is a constant source of recreation. The UK coastline is in effect our largest national park and represents the UK's greatest leisure resource. COASTAL FACTS - The UK's coastline is long in comparison to the UK's area and to the coasts of other, larger countries; - The length of the UK coastline is an incredible 11,323 miles or 18,076 kms. Around 60% of our coastline is located in Scotland and the off-shore islands. - This figure is not far short of the figure for the coastline of America - 19,924 kms. - The coastline of China is 15,273 kms long. - It is more than three and a half times longer than the coastline of Spain - 4,964 kms. - It is more than five times longer than the coastline of France - 3427 kms - The UK is made up of over 1000 islands - which adds up to a lot of coastline. Around 790 of these islands are located off shore from Scotland - most of these are within three main groups - the Hebrides, the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands. There are 291 inhabited islands in the UK. - The most northerly inhabited island is Unst, in the Shetland Islands. - The most southerly inhabited island (excluding the Channel Islands) is St Agnes, one of the Scilly Isles. - The estimated distance between these two outposts at around 1020 miles. If the Channel Islands are included then Jersey is the most southerly part of the UK, being around eighty miles south of the mainland. - The place in the UK that is furthest from the sea is reckoned to be Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire - located just north of Tamworth - could come in useful on the Pub Trivia Quiz night! The village is about 75 miles from the sea. - Around 27 million holidays were taken at the coast in 2002. Amounting to 115 million nights. In addition there were around 120 million day trips to the coast - which works out at two visits to the coast for very person in the UK. - The annual spend at coastal areas is around £8bn.

FACTS AND STATS ON THE UK COASTLINE