Catch the Breeze Retreats is a personal portfolio of holiday properties owned and managed by the Sykes Family in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Northumberland Coast and Snowdonia National Park

Situated at the end of a terrace of 19th century cottages in postcard-pretty Craster, close enough to the harbour wall to hear the squaw of herring gulls and the slap of the sea, Harbourway is a haven of seaside calm – and one of our larger Craster properties. Stoutly built from local whinstone, topped by slate, with double-fronted bay windows looking down onto the harbour, the cottage has been sensitively modernised while retaining true to its 19th century heritage.

Lying six miles northeast of Alnwick, the quiet village of Craster seems to tumble into the sea. Sandy and salty, it was an important fishing harbour in the 17th century. And it’s safe to say that seafood is still Craster’s raison d’ être. There’s a fish restaurant, and the fish shop boasts the best kippers in the world. In the early 20th century, 2,500 herring were smoked here daily, and the kippers produced here today grace some of the finest breakfast tables in the world, including the Queen’s. The Farne Islands, Holy Islands and Hadrian’s Wall are all within easy reach. The Northumberland coast is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Stonehatches are common in the area and look out for wheatear and linnet. The carolling of the skylark overhead fills the fields between Craster and Cullernose. Little auks are occasional visitors when bad weather blows them south from their normal habitats. Snow buntings winter along the shoreline in small flocks, and heron, curlew and redshank reside all year round. The Northumberland Coast—designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty—is abundant with wildlife and is as wild and windswept as it is utterly spellbinding.