St Cuthbert's Way

St Cuthbert's Way
Length	62 mi (100 km)
Location	Scottish Borders/Northumberland
Trailheads	Melrose Lindisfarne
Use	Hiking

St Cuthbert's Way is a 62-mile (100 km) long-distance trail between the Scottish Borders town of Melrose and Lindisfarne (Holy Island) off the coast of Northumberland, England.

"The walk is named after Cuthbert, a 7th-century saint, a native of the Borders who spent his life in the service of the church. He began his work at Melrose Abbey. He achieved the status of Bishop, and when he died he was buried on Holy Island. He was called a saint eleven years after his death, when his coffin was opened and his remains found to be perfectly preserved."^[1]

The route

This is a 100km (62.5 mile) long distance walking route across the Scottish Borders to the Northumberland Coast following in the footsteps of St Cuthbert.^[2]

In Scotland

Although the majority of walkers travel from west to east it can be as easily walked in the reverse direction with good waymarking in both directions.^[2] The route starts at Melrose Abbey. It first climbs over the Eildon Hills to the village of Bowden, then turns east to Newtown St Boswells on the River Tweed opposite Dryburgh Abbey. It then follows the bank of the Tweed for 3 miles (5 km) downstream past St Boswells to Maxton. Near Maxton the trail joins Dere Street, which it follows south east past the site of the Battle of Ancrum Moor to Monteviot House on the banks of the River Teviot.

From Monteviot Bridge the Way follows Dere Street for another 1 km, before striking east and climbing above the village of Crailing to reach Cessford. A short stretch of roadwalking follows to Morebattle, from where the trail leads south up the valley of Kale Water. 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Morebattle the Way climbs steeply to the ridge of Wideopen Hill, the highest point of the trail at 368 metres (1,207 ft), before descending to the villages of Town Yetholm and Kirk Yetholm, where it meets the Pennine Way.

The route in Scotland is part of the European walking route E2.

In England

The border ridge is reached 2 miles (3 km) east of Kirk Yetholm. On the English side the trail descends through the Northumberland National Park to the village of Hethpool in the College Valley. The trail then climbs through the foothills of the Cheviot Hills, passing just south of the hillforts of Yeavering Bell and Humbleton Hill, to the town of Wooler.

From Wooler the Way ascends the valley of the River Till to the twin villages of West Horton and East Horton. It then follows farmland tracks to St. Cuthbert's Cave near Holburn. Near the cave it joins St Oswald's Way and the Northumberland Coast Path to head north through Fenwick to reach the coast just east of Beal. The last section across the sands to Lindisfarne (Holy Island) can only be walked at low tide, either by the modern road or by the historic, more direct, Pilgrims Path, marked by posts.

Connecting paths

In addition to the Pennine Way, St Oswald's Way and the Northumberland Coast Path, St Cuthbert's Way connects with the Borders Abbeys Way, the Roman Heritage Way, the Sir Walter Scott Way and the Southern Upland Way.^[2]

References

↑ "St. Cuthberts Way". The Sherpa Van Project. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
1 2 3 "St. Cuthbert's Way", Scotland's Great Trails

External links

Coordinates: 55°40′55″N 1°29′24″W / 55.682°N 1.489891°W / 55.682; -1.489891

Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom

National Trails (England and Wales)	Cleveland Way Cotswold Way England Coast Path Glyndŵr's Way Hadrian's Wall Path North Downs Way Norfolk Coast Path Offa's Dyke Path Peddars Way Pembrokeshire Coast Path Pennine Bridleway Pennine Way The Ridgeway South Downs Way South West Coast Path Thames Path Yorkshire Wolds Way Wales Coast Path

Long distance routes (Scotland)	Great Glen Way Southern Upland Way Speyside Way West Highland Way

Long distance path (Northern Ireland)	Ulster Way

Footpaths in Scotland

Highlands and northern Scotland	Ca na Catanach Clachlet Traverse Cape Wrath Trail Cateran Trail Coast to Coast Cowal Way East Highland Way Great Glen Way Gordon Way Moray Way Rob Roy Way Scottish National Trail Speyside Way West Highland Way

Southern Uplands	Annandale Way Borders Abbeys Way Clyde walkway John Buchan Way Southern Upland Way

Coastal paths	Arran Coastal Way Ayrshire Coastal Path Fife Coastal Path John Muir Way Moray Coast trail Scottish Coastal Way

Trans-border (partly in England)	Central Scottish Way Northumberland Coast Path North Sea Trail Pennine Way Roman Heritage Way St Cuthbert's Way

Canal towpaths, rail trails etc	Caledonian Canal Crinan Canal Dava Way Deeside Way Devon Way Dingwall Canal Drovers' road Formartine and Buchan Way Forth and Clyde Canal (Pathway) Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal Hillend Loch Railway Path Monkland Canal Old military roads of Scotland Penicuik–Dalkeith Walkway Stevenston Canal Strathkelvin Railway Path Union Canal Water of Leith Walkway

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