The Cheviot Hills

The Cheviot Hills form a rugged upland range straddling the Anglo-Scottish border, mostly within Northumberland National Park. The highest point, The Cheviot, reaches 815 metres, while nearby peaks include Hedgehope Hill, Windy Gyle, Cushat Law and Bloodybush Edge. These hills mark the southern edge of the Scottish Southern Uplands and the northern Pennines, separated from the main Pennine chain by the Tyne Gap. Geologists trace their origins to violent volcanic activity 480 to 360 million years ago during the Caledonian orogeny. The hills sit above Carboniferous Limestone covered by younger glacial deposits, creating a varied landscape of granite tors and lava flows. Rights of way allow open access across both English and Scottish sides under national legislation. The range holds deep historical significance, linked to border skirmishes recorded in ballads such as ‘The Ballad of Chevy Chase’. Battles like Otterburn in 1388 and Homildon Hill in 1402 were fought within sight of these slopes. The Cheviot sheep breed and rare feral goats have grazed here for centuries, shaping the upland ecology. Military training takes place on the southern slopes at Otterburn, one of Europe’s largest firing ranges, where up to 30,000 soldiers train annually. Despite this, much of the northern Cheviots remains quiet moorland and bog, crossed by remote sections of the Pennine Way. Visitors find well-marked walking routes through five main valleys: College, Harthope, Breamish, Bowmont and Heatherhope. The Border Ridge section of the Pennine Way follows the fence marking the national boundary for nearly 32 kilometres. Mountain refuge huts offer shelter on exposed sections, while Wooler serves as the main gateway town on the A697. Shorter trails include the Three Forts Foray and Hethpool to the Curr, graded moderate to strenuous. Heather moorland, granite tors and occasional wild goats characterise the open hills, with views stretching towards Kielder Forest to the southwest.