Best Varnish and stain for outdoors

I have a number of these conical wooden things that I have made out of softwood, I was originally going to do them in Black Bitumen, but the plan has now changed and they are now to be finnished with a dark stain or varnish to highlight the grain.

The wood is pine and they are to be outdoors in all the weather (they're going to be fence post tops!) I somehow don't think they will survive outdoors but I'm just doing as I am bid.

I have some woodstain of the correct colour, (they def need to be darker) could I put a yacht varnish on top of that - is yacht varnish any good. What would be the very best finnish to give them the best chance of surviving a few years?

What do you recommend ?

 

Sadolin Classic,

Used it to protect the exposed to weather timbers of our timber framed house in 1980. Timbers are still in good condition.

Congratulations on your skilled woodwork.

 

Agree with bernardgreen.
Sadolin woodstain has resisted all weather for over 10 years on my outdoor furniture and still looks grand.

 

I've also used everbuild woodstain on decorative items exposed to the elements and it resists very well.

 

so whatis the difference between a stain and a varnish ?