Shepherd’s Cairn guided walk
We were blessed with fantastic weather on Sunday for the first guided walk of the season.
With it being the 60th anniversary of the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team, it felt fitting to begin with a walk to the Shepherd’s Cairn, a memorial to the two shepherds whose tragic loss in 1962 led to the formation of the team.
Starting at Alnham Church, we followed the old trading route along Salters Road over High Knowes towards Ewartly Shank, the farm the two men were heading for but never reached.
From above Ewartly Shank, we were treated to stunning views of Hedgehope, the Cheviot, Cunyan Crags, Dunmoor Hill and Cushat Law. Apart from us, the hills were quiet, just curlew, lapwing, oystercatcher, skylark and meadow pipit for company.
After a short stop at the Cairn to reflect, we made our way to Pigdon’s Leap, a beautiful hidden waterfall for a relaxed lunch in the sunshine. From there, we continued via Hazeltonrig Burn and Old Hazeltonrig Farm, looping back towards Alnham with views of the morning’s route laid out ahead of us.
A truly memorable day and a perfect start to the season with some great company.
You can view all the guided walks we have coming up online here.