Spittal

On the way

On our way up we stopped at High Newton and walked to the National Trust site where they are protecting a small colony of Little Terns. There were plenty of Arctic Terns there!

In the evening

We took a walk towards the old bridge across the Tweed. It was being renovated so we were unable to cross it but we went on the newer Royal Tweed Bridge and view the rail viaduct and estuary from there. On Spittal promenade on our way back we noticed a board that is part of the Lowry Trail.

Bass Rock

We went up to North Berwick and took a boat trip in a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat). This went round three islands (Lamb, Craigleith and Bass Rock).

St Abb’s Head

On our way back from North Berwick we visited St Abb’s Head. We did not see any puffins but there were plenty of guillemots and some exciting rock formations.

The Lowry Trail

As we had seen on our first evening walk boards about the Lowry Trail we decided to spend the next day following this and so exploring Berwick in the process. It was not always easy to find all the boards but we managed it. More details about the trail can be found on https://www.northumberlandcoastaonb.org/files/Downloads/lowry-leaflet.compressed.pdf

Berwick to Hilton Bay

For our first coastal walk we parked near the pier in Berwick and headed North into Scotland. Despite the two large caravan parks the walk gave excellent views of the exciting coast line. WE also had several stops to watch the trains on the East Coast Main Line go sweeping past.

Boulmer to Craster

We went rather further South the next day and walked the coastal path from Boulmer to Craster and into the grounds of Dunstanburgh castle.

Towards Lindisfarne

We walked direct from our appartment down the coast towards Lindisfarne. On our way down the tide was out showing the sweeping sands of Cheswick Beach.

Beadnell to Low Newton

As we wanted to revisit the Little Term site we spent our last day walking the coastal path from Beadnell to Low Newton. At the National Trust Site we spoke to a warden who explained that there were very few Little Terns this year but they hoped more would return in the future. Arctic Terns, on the other hand were flourishing. He also pointed out the Black Tern, a rare visitor, when if flew above us. At the Newton Pool (in Low Newton) we were told that the first Avocets to breedin Northumberland were there. They were some distance away so the pictures were not brilliant!

Last Morning

Our last breakfast was enlivened by a sighting of a dolphin in the bay. We are not quite sure how this image works – is there a second dolphin behind?