Whitby is not the easiest place to get to by train however the long journey is well worth the effort, whether for a fish and chip lunch, the attractive town itself or the scenery that you can admire en-route. This was also the first time that we have arrived into Whitby by train.

Our journey from Derby started on the 07.13 CrossCountry service to Darlington, where we then changed for a Northern service to Middlesbrough before taking the 10.28 departure to Whitby arriving at 11.59. The latter journey, through the North Yorkshire Moors National Park on the Esk Valley Line, was very nice with snow topped hills and lovely moorland scenery to admire as we slowly made our way to the coast (the bit around Middlesbrough however is certainly not as attractive). Whitby station is pretty much in the centre of the town and just steps from the harbour, shopping and numerous fish and chip shops - a good job we arrived just in time for lunch!

Our lunch was had at the Quayside fish and chip restaurant which was voted the best in the UK in the 2014 annually held competition. The fish and chips (or chunky homemade fish cake for Heather) were very nice, but a tad expensive at £10.00 for cod and chips. It is hard to tell whether these really are the best without taste testing the competition but there are probably as good tasting and better value deals to be had in Whitby.

A walk around Whitby to view the harbour, amble along the quaint shopping streets, see the historic Abbey and explore the coastal path was a delight even if it was a little cold and breezy. The town was busy enough considering this was a Monday in early March and well outside the main tourist season. It is certainly a place that we will return to and spend longer exploring the surrounding area as there is plenty to see and do especially if you have a car.

Before heading back on the 16.00 train from Whitby to Middlesbrough there was just time to visit a couple of pubs. Having had the local food, it would be rude not to sample the local beer. A pint of Black Sheep in The Dolphin (not the friendliest of places) and a quick drink of Whitby Brewery's Platform 3 bitter with a lovely open fire in the pleasant Station Inn was a great way to finish our time in the seaside resort.

The journey back to Derby via Middlesbrough (where we unfortunately had an hour to kill) and York saw us arrive into Derby at around 21.25, about thirty minutes later than planned as we missed our connection at York. The end of a long, but really good day out.