St Cuthbert’s Way

Today starts with an invigorating climb over the iconic Eildon Hills, whose triple peaks are one of the best loved landmarks of the Scottish Borders. Dropping down into the village of Bowden, the route winds its way through gentle farmland and woodland, then along the tranquil banks of the Rivers Tweed. As you end enter the village of Maxton, you’ll be following in the footsteps of the Romans who built the original road, now a tree lined grassy track, passing Lady Lilliar’s Tomb.

Today starts with an invigorating climb over the iconic Eildon Hills, whose triple peaks are one of the best loved landmarks of the Scottish Borders. Dropping down into the village of Bowden, the route winds its way through gentle farmland and woodland, then along the tranquil banks of the Rivers Tweed. As you end enter the village of Maxton, you’ll be following in the footsteps of the Romans who built the original road, now a tree lined grassy track, passing Lady Lilliar’s Tomb.

Setting off today you’ll cross the Monteviot Suspension Bridge, and meander along the banks of the River Teviot. Soon the route branches off through woodland, in springtime strewn with bluebells, and then on wards on farm paths and tracks through rich agricultural land to Cessford. Cessford Castle, once the stronghold of the Kers, is directly on the route as you continue on into Morebattle.

First a climb via Grubbit Law along the ridge to Wideopen Hills, at 400 m the highest point on St Cutherbert’s Way and halfway from Melrose to Holy Island. Looking back across the Borders to the Eildons, gives you a good chance to measure your progress!

This next section of St. Cuthbert’s Way coincides with the final stretch of the Pennine Way. Climbing up from Halterburn around Green Humbleton (287m) – the first of many hillforts along St. Cuthbert’s Way – you will soon reach the national border between Scotland and England. At the border you will cross into Northumberland National Park, one of Britain’s best kept secrets. From here the trail drops back down via Elsdonburn to Hethpool, at the head of the College valley and home of the Collingwood Oaks. Then onwards through woodland and a good track along the Cheviot foothills, heading for Yeavering Bell (361m), Northumberland’s largest Iron Age fort. A lovely path leads through the heather over Gains Law down to the small market town of Wooler.

Today you walk over Weetwood Moor, where a short diversion on one of the circular short walks off the long distance route will take you to prehistoric rock carvings. Dropping back down to cross the River Till via the 16th Century Weetwood Bridge, quiet lanes lead to Horton, and onto another section of typically dead-straight Roman road: the Devil’s Causeway, which once linked Corbridge and Tweedmouth. Farmland and woodland tracks lead up to St. Cuthbert’s Cave, where monks took St. Cuthbert’s body in 875AD as they fled from Viking raids on Lindisfarne.

Above the cave on the rocky ridge of the Kyloe Hills, the first tantalising views of your final destination come into sight with Holy Island clearly visible above the glittering sands, and Bamburgh Castle just to the south. It’s clear to see why this part of the Northumberland coast has been designated an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You continue through Shiellow Wood towards the village of Fenwick.

The trail heads out this morning to the coast along historic paths and tracks, passing Fenwick Granary, crossing the main east coast railway line and Beal Cast Burn, past World War 2 coastal defence reaching the Cuaseway at low tide for your crossing to Holy Island. Note: The causeway on to Holy Island can only be crossed during low tide. Before booking please check the Holy Island Safe Crossing Times here.

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to walk more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.

Transfers allow your holiday to go ahead when accommodation directly on the route is unavailable. Local taxi operators (or your hosts for the night) will pick you up from a suitable location near the trail and take you to your night’s stay; then, the following morning they’ll drop you back off right where you were picked up so you can continue your walk.

Since we foot the extra bill for transfers, you can rest assured that we’ll get you on the trail whenever we can.