Is this what they call a sand castle?

Dover Castle has been sculpted in sand on Scarborough beach to launch an English Heritage competition this summer.

Its aim is to get us all out with our buckets and spades and join in the traditional holiday pastime of building sandcastles.

The organisation fears the skill of creating castles from sand and water - a favourite beach activity since holidays at the coast first became popular - is in danger of becoming a lost art in the techno-savvy 21st century.

So by combining traditional with digital in a summer Facebook competition, English Heritage is encouraging everyone to head to the beach to build a sandcastle in the shape of one of its 98 castles - and to post a picture of their creation on the competition website.

When the competition closes at the end of August, the best junior entry overall will win a party for themselves and 11 friends at an English Heritage castle, complete with food, games and party bags.

The best adult entry can enjoy a sleepover at Dover Castle, Pendennis Castle in Cornwall or Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden in Warwickshire or a castle ghost tour.