Newcastleton

Enjoy the thrills of Newcastleton

Whether you’re planning a peaceful picnic with lovely views, a wilderness ramble or an adrenalin-rush mountain bike ride, Newcastleton Forest offers the perfect setting. The forest is also a wildlife haven: don’t miss the hide overlooking Priesthill and the stunning Liddel valley. There are traces of ages past here too - look out for ancient settlements and burial cairns as you go.

Life’s essentials

You can find public toilets and free showers, as well as several places to eat, drink and shop in Newcastleton.

Cross the Border

The Cross Border Route is perfect for anyone with plenty of stamina looking for a true ‘wilderness experience’. This 17½ mile (28 km) expedition from Scotland to England and back is ideal for well-prepared walkers, cyclists and horse-riders in search of an adventure into remote border country.

Blue way markers will take you round the trail, visiting the stunning Kershope Burn and the Three Counties meeting point, where the Scottish Borders, Northumberland and Cumbria join together. Look out for the historic Bloody Bush toll stone, which marks the crossing between Scotland and England, as well as the 21st century Border Stane. On a clear day there are superb views of the rolling borderlands.

You should allow 9 hours to walk the route. Check our advice on hill walking before you set off.

Notices

• The Cross Border Route shown on the Forests of Newcastleton Map will be an out and back only route following the southern half of the loop. The northern half of the loop will be closed until September 2018 due to tree felling operations.

Newcastleton Forest stretches to the border with England, where it meets Kielder Forest – making it part of the largest forest in Britain. It’s a powerhouse for timber production, but the forest is also home to a rich variety of wildlife as well as many remnants of its earlier history when the hills were dotted with ancient settlements.