St Cuthbert's Way, a 62-mile walking route through Northumberland popular with pilgrims, has been named as one of the world's top tourist activities by Lonely Planet's annual Best in Travel guide. The route is one of just 25 travel experiences the guide urges people to do in 2027.
Route from Melrose to Holy Island
Most people walk the route from West to East, starting in Melrose in the Scottish Borders where St Cuthbert started his religious life in 650AD. The walk ventures through the scenery of St Boswells, Harestanes, Crailing, Morebattle and Kirk, with the climb from Yetholm to the border offering spectacular all-round views.
Crossing into England, the walk enters Northumberland National Park over the foothills of the Cheviot in Hethpool and continues onto Wooler. Along the route is St Cuthbert's Cave, beneath an overhanging outcrop supported by a pillar of rock.
History of St Cuthbert's Cave
The cave, hidden in the countryside in a remote area of Belford, tells a tale of turbulent times and holy deeds. Lindisfarne monks hid there in 875, taking refuge with St Cuthbert's body after fleeing the island because of Viking raids. Alongside the body of the saint, they took the Lindisfarne Gospel and other treasures, resting in the atmospheric cave on their journey.
The area is now managed by the National Trust, so those seeking the location, known locally as Cuddy's Cave, can be sure of some signs pointing them in the right direction. All those centuries ago, the refuge found by the monks would have been isolated from all things.
End of the Walk and Recognition
St Cuthbert's Way then ventures up to the villages of Lowick, Fenwick and Beal before culminating on Holy Island off the Northumberland coast, where many pilgrims walk the causeway from the mainland to Lindisfarne at Easter, the eventual resting place of St Cuthbert.
Suitable for all ages and abilities, the walk offers something for everyone with flat and low level sections interspersed by uphill climbs, paths along hill ridges, and downhill descents. A further 24 short walks based on St Cuthbert's Way have also been developed since it was founded in 1996, ranging in length from one to eight miles.
