We’re going on a pilgrimage in the border region between England and Scotland. The long-distance St. Cuthbert’s Way trail is 100 kilometers long. Abbeys, nature, and delicious food take center stage on this impressive journey. Read about this beautiful route and our practical tips.
What a wonderful way to start a trip: driving onto the ferry from IJmuiden to Newcastle in the evening and disembarking the next morning, well-rested, on the other side of the North Sea.
We have to resist the temptation to go for a walk along Hadrian’s Wall here in the area. We’ll save that for another time. On the way to the starting point of the St. Cuthbert’s Long-Distance Trail in Melrose, it’s nice to make a stop in Alnwick.
The impressive Alnwick Castle in the English county of Northumberland was built around 1100. Today, many tourists visit this castle because the first Harry Potter movie was partially filmed here. So don’t be surprised if you run into groups of children (and adults) wielding broomsticks at the real Hogwarts.
It was also an important filming location for *Downton Abbey*. Alnwick Castle is the second-largest inhabited castle in the United Kingdom. The owner, the Duke of Northumberland, lives there only in the winter.
The duke owns one of the most important private collections in Great Britain. Be sure to take a look inside the castle, where you’ll find beautiful paintings by famous artists such as Titian, Canaletto, and Van Dyck. The gardens (and the views that resemble a Constable landscape painting) are also well worth seeing.
Alnwick is about an hour and a half’s drive from the Scottish Borders, where we are preparing for the St. Cuthbert Pilgrimage Route.
Melrose is a charming little town on the River Tweed (which we will also follow during our pilgrimage). The three peaks of the Eildon Hills are the most striking landmark. In the spring, the hills around Melrose turn yellow with blooming gorse.
Before we really set out, we’ll start with a visit to Melrose Abbey, near the River Tweed. The abbey is now partly in ruins, but it’s still well worth a visit, if only because it was Scotland’s first Cistercian abbey.
Most hikers take the route from Melrose in the Scottish Borders to Lindisfarne in England on the North Sea. And that’s a smart choice because then you’ll—usually—have the wind at your back. The route is also marked in the opposite direction, but then you can be sure you’ll have the wind against you almost the entire way.
The St. Cuthbert’s Way is certainly well-marked throughout the Scottish Borders, but in Melrose itself, you’ll need to keep a close eye out for a small wooden sign.
St. Cuthbert’s Way starts just outside the town center (toward the Monte Cassino restaurant), and after a few hundred meters, you walk between houses and into the woods. The route initially crosses the foothills of the Eildon Hills. From Melrose, it’s a considerable climb over the Eildon Hills with their three peaks. You’ll have a good reason to take a breather, because the views here are spectacular: of Melrose, the Moorfoot and Lammermuir Hills to the north, and the mighty Cheviot mountain range to the south.
After the descent to the village of Bowden, the route winds through rolling farmland and wooded areas and then along the banks of the River Tweed, where you can already catch a glimpse of Dryburgh Abbey. This 12th-century abbey is well worth a stop. We found this abbey and its gardens to be the most beautiful of all the abbeys in the Scottish Borders. You can spend the night at the adjacent Dryburgh Abbey Hotel. Many hikers stay overnight in St. Boswells.
Today we’ll leave the River Tweed and follow the ancient Roman “road” Dere Street to Harestanes. From here, you can take a taxi to Jedburgh. If you still have some energy left, you can walk an additional 8 kilometers. A visit to Jedburgh Abbey on the River Jed is also a must-see. The town itself has a few nice restaurants, some with views of the abbey.
We pick up the St. Cuthbert’s Way again in Harestanes. Today we’ll walk 18 kilometers through the rolling farmland of the Scottish Borders. Among other sights, you’ll pass the ruins (which are still standing) of the 15th-century Cessford Castle. At one point, you’ll walk along paved roads before finally arriving in Morebattle. Morebattle is a picturesque village situated on the Kale Water River.
Today’s itinerary includes an 11-kilometer hike. We’ll climb Wideopen Hill (369 m), which offers a magnificent view of the diverse landscape of the Borders. Yetholm actually consists of two small villages—Kirk Yetholm and Town Yetholm. The name Yetholm means “Gate Town,” because the villages serve as geographical “gates” on the border. The history of conflict along the border likely meant that permanent settlement in Yetholm didn’t begin until the late 1500s. Today, it’s an important stop for pilgrims on their way to Lindisfarne.
Today we’ll cross the border into England. At 22 kilometers, this is the toughest stage. The route winds through the heath and grass-covered hills, surrounded by the green Cheviot Hills. From the hamlet of Hethpool, a picturesque stretch follows, but be careful—there’s no shelter here at all. We’ll end the day in Wooler, a small market town on the edge of the Cheviot Hills. There are plenty of pubs and restaurants here to help you forget your tired feet and legs for a while.
Today we’ll cover 19 kilometers. From Wooler, St. Cuthbert’s Way leads across Weetwood Moor. If you have the energy, take a detour here to see some prehistoric rock carvings. As you descend again and cross the River Till via the 16th-century Weetwood Bridge, quiet country lanes lead to Horton and to another section of a typical, dead-straight Roman road: the Devil’s Causeway. The paths lead to St. Cuthbert’s Cave, where monks are said to have brought the body of St. Cuthbert in 875 as they fled the Viking raids on Lindisfarne.
Above the cave on the rocky ridge of the Kyloe Hills, we catch our first glimpse of our final destination, Holy Island, in the distance. It’s quite a special moment. This is where the St. Cuthbert’s Way meets the St. Oswald’s Way, another long-distance trail. Following an easy trail through Shiellow Wood, we end up in the village of Fenwick.
Our final destination is in sight! It’s essential to check the tides before setting out, because you can only walk to Holy Island at low tide. Those last ten kilometers of St. Cuthbert’s Way are well worth the effort, and you’ll undoubtedly be in for a treat during the final walk toward the sea, as you get closer and closer to the castle in the distance. This is no mirage. When you reach the raised causeway at low tide, you can choose how to walk to Lindisfarne—simply along the road, but we recommend following the markers of the historic Pilgrims’ Path across the sand.
There aren’t many long-distance hikes that end this way. Don’t forget to visit Lindisfarne Abbey before you reach the tidal island. From the abbey, you’ll also have a beautiful view of Castle Island.
In Lindisfarne, there are small hotels, pubs, and cafés where you can take a moment to reflect on this special pilgrimage.
Titmice, woodpeckers, tree creepers, golden eagles, harriers, and—with a little luck—you might spot dolphins and a passing whale along the coast; near Lindisfarne, puffins nest on the Farne Islands in the spring.
Cuthbert was born around the year 635 in northern Northumbria in northern England. In 651, when he was barely 17, Cuthbert began his religious life at Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders. He later went to Lindisfarne, but soon chose to lead a simple life as a hermit.
Toward the end of his life, he was persuaded to become bishop of Lindisfarne, one of England’s most famous early Christian sites. Cuthbert died in the year 687 and was buried in Lindisfarne.
When his tomb was opened in 698, it was found that his body had hardly decomposed. His grave soon became a magnet for pilgrims. Reports of miracles said to have occurred at the grave began to multiply, after which Cuthbert was canonized.
Around the year 875, Lindisfarne was attacked by Vikings. Monks fled with the relics of St. Cuthbert. They are said to have taken refuge in St. Cuthbert’s Cave, one of the stops along the St. Cuthbert’s Way pilgrimage route. Eventually, at the end of the 11th century, his remains were buried in the magnificent Durham Cathedral.
The exterior features fascinating sculptures, such as a pig playing the bagpipes. It’s fun to walk around the grounds with an audio guide, and in the small museum next to the abbey, you can learn more about its eventful history.
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