Just Half-an-Hour from Holy Island!

Northumberland is famous for its wealth of world-class heritage sites. In particular, North Northumberland features a unique collection of Castles and Priories. Castles, like Etal, recalling some of the fiercest fighting on one of the bloodiest of Anglo-Scottish borders battlefields - Flodden.

Priories, like Lindisfarne on Holy Island, heralded the Celtic medieval rebirth of Christianity to spread the 'Good News' around the globe. Our Tip! There are many English Heritage sites in the northeast. Membership or an 'Overseas Visitors Pass' will obtain free entry to these and over 300 sites throughout England!.


If castles are your thing, then there is Lindisfarne Castle and Dunstanburgh. The magnificent castle at Bamburgh once the ancient seat of Northumbria is a must as is Alnwick Castle with its Water Gardens and 'Harry Potter' associations just down the road. Both are are privately owned.

If journeying between Alnwick and Bamburgh, why not take the coast road stopping off at Seahouses to visit the Farne Islands: Sanctuary to one of the largest colonies of seabirds and seals; Hermitage of the Northern Saints; Site of Grace Darling's heroic sea rescue.
Our Tip! Like many royals and celebrities you may choose to sail to the Farnes or go diving there with Billy Shiel MBE.


West from the A1 trunk road, about level with Holy Island, through the village of Lowick and set some of the most scenic Cheviot landscapes are the Ford and Etal Estates. Between the quaint, well-kept villages of Ford and Etal watch out for the signs to Heatherslaw. Ride the miniature railway; visit a working watermill and browse the workings; have a homemade snack at the mill cafe - delicious!


And whilst you're in the area why not pop in to the Fenton Centre, near Wooler. The centre provides a fun and educational resource for all the family to enjoy discovering what makes the countryside tick.

Continuing north past Holy Island to Berwick-upon-Tweed brings even more of the famous Anglo-Scottish Borders into easy reach.

If venturing forth as far as Selkirk (Sir Walter Scott) or Kelso racetrack or castle, why not pop into the famous regimental museum at Coldstream.


Not quite so far our from Berwick you may care to visit the uniquely famous Chainbridge and the adjacent Honey farm which features a working hive and educational bee information centre.

Just across the Chain Bridge from the Honey Farm the magnificent grounds of Paxton House border the River Tweed. Check out the events programme. See Shakespeare performed in the open air, visit an art exhibition or simply take the whole family for a perfect day out.

GOLF For some a holiday is not complete without a good game of golf. North Northumberland hosts a number of excellent links courses. Near Holy Island we have the Berwick Golf Club at Goswick. Also convenient is the 9-Hole course at Haggerston Castle.

For the amenities of a town look no further than Berwick-upon-Tweed - only twenty minutes up the road from Holy Island: