Runswick Bay

Runswick Bay is arguably the most photogenic of the Yorkshire coast's tucked-away villages - red pantile roofs tumbling down to a golden crescent of sand, wooded cliffs, and a lifeboat house at the point. From the air it is gorgeous, and the wide beach gives you an easy, open launch spot on the sand below the high-water line, which is Crown Estate foreshore and fine for recreational flying. Park at the top car park on Bank Top, a steep walk down, or the small area by the beach when the tide allows. The bay sits within the North York Moors National Park, whose authority will not grant amateur permits on its own land but owns almost none of the coast; the beach itself is the sensible, legal place to take off and land. Fly out over the water and along the sand rather than over the cottages, to respect privacy, and mind the cliffs, which can hold nesting fulmars in spring. It is a popular spot, so summer weekends are busy with families and paddleboarders; early morning or an autumn weekday is far better for a clear beach and soft light. No FRZ affects the bay (Teesside's zone is roughly 35km north-west). Low tide gives you the most sand and the boats sitting pretty at the slipway.