Need some recommendations for Northumbria please

JoJo

JoJo

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I'm organising a week trip round Scotland in July, travelling up from the Midlands. Having never really visited Northumberland but having heard how scenic it is, I'm hoping to spend the first night there before heading up to Edinburgh for our second night in Pitlochry. So my questions are:
Where is best to ride through for scenic views and great roads? and where would you recommend staying? I'm not really bothered about staying in a town but a pub within walking distance would be a big bonus.
Thanks in advance.
Jo
 
Have a look at Seahouses there must be a couple of dozen places to stay :thumb2

last day of term 17th iirc
 
Bellingham - 2 good pubs, one of which does accomodation and quite a few B&Bs, also handy on your way north to Edinburgh, through Kielder and over Carter Bar.

:beerjug:
 
Northumberland

+1 for Bellingham area.
I would then head through Kielder, onto Newcastleton over the tops to the A7 for the scenic route to
Edinbourgh.
Or, Turn left at Carterbar for Hawick and again the A7.
There are lots of speed cameras on the A68 after Carterbar.
 
Seeing Bamburgh Castle, riding the costal road past Holy Island and throwing Mackeral to the seals in Eyemouth harbour are all worth a look, it's a beautiful area.
 
I would go over Hartside pass to Alston. Leave Alston aiming for Haltwhistle and then up to hadrians wall. Then to Bellingham and on to Rothbury which would me a good place to stay. Then through Alnwick to the coast at Alnmouth (both would also be good option for a night) and follow the coast up to Bamburgh via Craster. If the tides are right for you nip across to holy island (can be very busy) Then across to Wooler and on to Yetholm then to Kelso to Edinburgh, although there is an awesome and remote back road from Yetholm through Howton (take a left in Morebattle) back towards the A68 at Carter Bar.

The A68 at CB is worth a couple runs up and down just for the long sweeping corners on grippy Tarmac. A good place to see what touches down first ;).

Enjoy, most of the roads north of hadrians wall will be deserted.
 
If staying in Seahouses I can recommend this place. www.stcuthbertshouse.com My wife adores it. They have private off road parking around the back. The guy who owns it is a retired fire fighter, and makes you feel really welcome.

It's a ten minute walk into the town centre where there are a couple of good sea front pubs, and youre very handy for Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh castles and also Lindisfarne. there are also boat trips out to the Farne islands from here as well.
 
Thank you guys, that's fab advice and I'm glad that I asked. As you all pretty much agree with each other, you must all be right :D

It's somewhere that's always been on my list for future trips but I usually seem to head south or on to the continent. My last trip to Scotland was a 1600 mile, 5 day mad dash and although we rode brilliant routes, there was no chance of deviating off up to the north east, this time I might even spend a couple of nights exploring that area.

Thanks again (I'd better learn how to load pictures on here next)!

Jo :beerjug:
 
I've used a B&B/pub in Haltwhistle as a halfway stopover on the circa 500 mile trip to Inverness or Fort William. The last one I used seems to be a private house now so just search on booking.com

As said above get there via Alston and leave there over Hadrian's Wall and on to Carter Bar. The roads through the Cheviots are great.
 
Jojo sorry just read your thread leaving Newcastle head up along the coastal route it takes you through Warkworth with its castle Alnwick with its history ( Blackadders castle) Seahouses with its Farne Islands and Bamburgh with its castle. Then Holy Island etc the list goes on .You can then split and go inland at Lowick just off the A1 and head west and catch the 697 then the 68.
Hope this helps the wife had been poorly otherwise I would have met up with you.
 
Two choices really;

1.East up the coastal route ie Warkworth, Alnmouth ,Craster, Seahouses, Bambrough, Holy Island then across Duns, over past Whiteadder reservoir joining the A1 near Haddington. If the weather is good the scenery is great but in height of summer the roads are crowded with wobbleboxes, shed draggers and old farts driving at 25 mph.

2.Alston, cut over onto the military road then north onto the A68 ,leaving it north of west woodburn onto the Keilder road and then up towards Newcastleton and Edinburgh. Faster better roads and there are a few Roman sites to stop at

Why not go up the coastal route and travel back the other one or visa versa, hundreds
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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