The Border Country, comprising North Northumberland and the Southern Scottish Borders is a place of magnificent wide sky scenery, with vast expanses of untouched countryside ranging from rolling hills and rugged, windswept moorland, to gentle valleys and the 25 miles of protected golden sands and secluded rocky coves that make up the Heritage coastline. Even in the summer months, the sparkling clean beaches remain almost deserted.

Offshore, there is a thriving water sports scene, with excellent sailing and some of the UK’s best windsurfing and surfing at stunning spots such as Coldingham and Beadnell Bay. Dotted along the coast are picturesque fishing villages such as St Abbs, Alnmouth, Beadnell, and Craster offering wonderful seafood including smoked kippers, crab sandwiches and supremely fresh fish and chips. From the pretty village of Seahouses take a boat to the Farne Islands, home to a large colony of grey seals and 21 species of birds, including puffins.

For outdoor sports enthusiasts the region offers an unrivalled diversity of thousands of miles of dedicated footpaths, cycle routes and bridleways. The routes, anything from one hour to several days, take in some of the area’s most magnificent countryside including the heritage coast, Cheviot, Lammermuir and Eildon Hills and Kielder Forest, which encompasses the vast Kielder Water, Europe’s largest man-made lake with an impressive 27 mile shoreline. Famous routes include the fabulous 63-mile long St Cutherbert’s Way following the trail of early Christianity from Melrose to Holy Island, The Pennine Way, The Southern Upland Way and Border Abbey Way.