St Cuthbert’s Way

St Cuthbert’s Way takes you through the varied landscapes of the Scottish Borders and the Cheviot Hills and along the River Tweed, before ending at the magical tidal island of Lindisfarne.

St Cuthbert’s Way is named after the Celtic monk St Cuthbert, who, nearly 1400 years ago, began preaching Christianity at Melrose, the start of this walk. His travels led him across southern Scotland and Northern England and included the island of Lindisfarne, now famous for its illustrated Celtic Bible, a major work of devotional art. It is on Holy Island, with its castle and priory remains set against the backdrop of the North Sea, that the trail reaches its conclusion.

The trail takes walkers through a landscape of gentle farmland, green valleys and riverside pathways, plus a couple of sections of rougher and more undulating terrain as it crosses the Cheviot Hills.  St Cuthbert’s Way takes in the attractive market towns of Jedburgh and Wooler, as well as the pretty village of Kirk Yetholm, the northern terminus of the Pennine Way.  It is also a walk with strong historical associations, following in part the Roman road known as Dere Street and passing medieval abbeys at Dryburgh and Jedburgh, before crossing the tidal causeway that links the mainland to the atmospheric Holy Island for a memorable end to the journey.