The shape of the parish is a rectangle perpendicular to the coast, omitting the south-east corner which is the sea life centre and park of Scarborough, with a north-west rectangular projection most of which is closer to Burniston than Scalby.

The village forms one large cluster in the mid-south of this area traversed by several small roads and passing through is a section of the relatively minor A171.

Newby is south of the Scalby Beck (or Sea Cut) and is physically undivided from the rest of Scarborough.

[2] Scalby has the high street of the two settlements, commercial at street-level leading westward and upwards into the North York Moors National Park.

[4] Newby and Scalby Primary School is the main amenity named after both villages or suburbs.