St Cuthbert's Way Walking Guidebook

by: Ron Shaw
This 100-kilometre (60 mile) walk was opened in 1996 and has rapidly increased in popularity, with thousands of walkers walking all or parts of it every year. Visiting a number of places closely associated with St Cuthbert's life, the journey is full of historical interest and natural beauty. It can be tackled in its entirety, or sections can be walked separately, making an ideal day or weekend outing. Today's pilgrims travel from Melrose in the Scottish Borders to the Holy Island causeway at Beal. In the right conditions, the path across the sand here makes a superb finale to the walk. After a visit to Holy Island, walkers can then take the Islandshire Way along the coast to Berwick-upon-Tweed. This option is also fully covered in this Official Guide.

Illustrated in full colour throughout, the guide is full of information about the historical and natural features of the route as well as detailed navigation instructions. In a comprehensive introduction it also covers appropriate equipment for walkers, way marking, car parking and accommodation. This completely revised edition of the guide adds a separate, entirely new, full-colour folding map of the route. Both the book and map are contained in a transparent plastic cover. After the walk, the guide and map make a wonderful souvenir of one of Britain's most evocative long distance routes.

The route is described in eight day stages as follows:
Melrose to St Boswells - 7.5 miles
St Boswells to Harestanes - 7.5 miles
Harestanes to Morebattle - 10 miles
Morebattle to Yetholm - 6.5 miles
Yetholm to Hethpool - 5 miles
Hethpool to Wooler - 8 miles
Wooler to Fenwick - 11.5 miles
Fenwick to Lindisfarne - 6 miles

Around AD664 St. Cuthbert is reputed to have walked from Melrose to Holy Island, a total of 60 miles through the breathtaking landscape of the Scottish Borders and Northumbria. St Cuthbert's Way is a record of the ancient route, allowing walkers to follow in the saint's footsteps a section at a time, or follow the entire route on a magical week's walking holiday.

Visit magnificent Melrose Abbey, walk the wildly beautiful hills and river valleys of the Scottish borders and the Cheviots, enter St. Cuthbert's cave and be captivated by Holy Island, a site of religious culture and inspiration since the 7th century.

ISBN 9781780275185 Pages 123 (2018 reprinted 2021) 135mm x 220mm plus folded map