Best of St Oswald's Way
- The abundance of religious and local history.
- Following the breathtaking Northumberland Coastline and staying in seaside villages.
- Trying out the famous oak-smoked kippers in Craster.
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Bamburgh and overnightArrive in Bamburgh and check in to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to explore the nearby sights.
The Victoria Hotel is a welcoming AA 3 Star hotel that overlooks the village green in the heart of historic Bamburgh. The village is overlooked by magnificent Bamburgh Castle which has featured in many historical films. All of their bedrooms offer high quality furnishing and all modern conveniences including hairdryer, complimentary refreshment tray, and LCD TV. Opened in 2012, Baileys Bar & Restaurant offers high quality, locally sourced food, cooked free to Rosette standard.
Budle Hall is a family run B&B and is said to be one of Northumberland’s loveliest small country houses. They have 5 well-appointed en-suite rooms and they have all the amenities you require for a comfortable and relaxing overnight stay.
The Sunningdale is family owned and offers a warm welcome to all. It is their aim to offer excellent service and quality during your stay. They have 21 en-suite bedrooms, all of which are comfortably furnished and include colour televisions and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities and toiletries. Their restaurant offers a superb selection of delicious home made excellent value food. They use high quality delicious produce such as locally reared and butchered lamb and pork, Lakeland matured beef and a superb selection of daily fresh fish.
Bamburgh was the site of King Oswald’s royal seat and the most familiar landmark is the magnificent Bamburgh Castle. From here the section of the St Oswald’s Way heads down to the popular seaside village of Seahouses where you can take boat trips to the nearby Farne Island.
Situated above the old lime kilns by the harbour in the popular coastal resort Seahouses is The Bamburgh Castle Inn, a friendly Northumberland inn with 30 en suite bedrooms. You will be assured of a warm welcome at this seaside location on the stunning North East coast. Add great food with lots of local flavours, real ales, wraparound views, beer garden and excellent accommodation and you'll discover there's simply no better place to eat, drink, stay and relax on the Northumberland coastline.
Springwood House offers luxury spacious rooms as well as a cosy lounge, and beautiful sea views.
Your hosts, Brian and Moira, are a local couple who have been in the hospitality industry for a number of years and are always available to help. The rooms are tastefully decorated and all rooms also have hairdryers, tea & coffee facilities and luxury bed linen and towels. They are able to do laundry for you if time permits for a small fee. Breakfast is served in the dining room which overlooks the garden and has a sitting area where you are able to relax.
Heading south you pass other seaside village down to Embleton Bay. Where possible and if tides allow you can walk on the beach as an alternative to the path. You then pass the romantic ruins of Dunstanburgh - another famous Northumberland castle before arriving in the fishing village of Craster.
The Cottage Inn provides B&B accommodation just outside the pretty village of Craster. All bedrooms have been renovated to a comfortable standard, room are en-suite with flat screen TV’s, garden views, complimentary bathroom products, hairdryers and complementary beverage tray. During your stay you will be able to sample some of Northumberland’s best foods and ales, they are committed to using local produce where possible. They pride themselves on their cask conditioned ales and always have a good selection from the local micro-breweries.
This is a lovely B&B set in its own grounds surrounded by fields and woods near Craster. Rooms are comfortably furnished and have all the amenities you require for a great overnight stay. They have a seating area exclusively for guests and free Wi-Fi.
The Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel is in the heart of Embleton, a picturesque village on the Northumberland coast, set within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. All rooms are en-suite with flat screen TV’s, hair dryers and complimentary hot drinks tray. They use only the best of local seasonal produce, sourced almost exclusively from small local suppliers. Their commitment to fresh and ethically produced food has earned them awards from Taste of Northumberland and Alnwick Food Festival.
From the picturesque village of Craster which is famous for its oak-smoked kippers, the St. Oswald’s Way continues south along the stunning coastline. You pass the sight of Northumberland’s earliest Stone Age settlement of Howick as you head down to Boulmer. Heading towards Alnmouth again you can walk along the beach while you pass two golf courses, one of which is the oldest in England.
The Red Lion Inn is a traditional Country Inn in the coastal village of Alnmouth opposite a medieval church. All of their guest rooms are en-suite with flat screen TVs and tea and coffee making facilities. All of the rooms are finished to an exceptionally high standard and offer an ideal overnight stay after a day’s walking! To the rear of the Red Lion Inn, they have a secluded Beer Garden offering an ideal location for an al fresco meal or a relaxing evening drink; their recently installed decking area offers spectacular views over the Estuary.
The Hope & Anchor is located on the scenic Northumbrian coastline, offering cosy hotel accommodation in the pretty seaside village of Alnmouth. On the scenic Northumbrian coastline, this family-run inn is reputedly one of the oldest buildings in the seaside village of Alnmouth and today offers free Wi-Fi and charming en-suite rooms. After a long period of refurbishment, the Hope and Anchor now offers great accommodation for walkers. The cosy and well-stocked bar offers real ales and the relaxing, informal restaurant serves local home-cooked food.
Located in the heart of Alnmouth, one of the most beautiful villages on The North East coast of England, The Sun Inn is a hub of village activity. You are assured a warm and friendly welcome from the staff and 'The Locals' alike. They have four guest rooms, each room is appointed to a high standard with soft, comfortable beds to ensure a great nights rest. They offer bar meals as well as a dining room, the chef takes great pride in preparing each meal individually with the best ingredients available. They vary their menu to reflect the changes in the season.
After breakfast your walking holiday will come to an end. See the Travel Info section for some useful details for your onward travel.
This trip has a carbon score of 6kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 6kg is equivalent to 4.5 ham and cheese sandwiches from the store. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?The St. Oswald's Way is a glorious walk through Northumberland's coastline. If you are a budding historian, then the plethora of sites of interest that are scattered along the route will appeal greatly.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers
The St Oswald’s Way 9 Day / 8 night is graded Moderate and the slightly shorter version of the 8 day / 7 night is graded Moderate to Strenuous as there due to some long days towards the end. The "Best of" Itinerary is however graded as Easy to Moderate.
Generally, the terrain will be varied with some rough and rugged footpaths, with ascent and descent involved, so a good level of fitness will be required. The route also includes a few sections where you are required to climb over a dry stone wall on a ladder stile, extra care should be taken at these points.
One of the highlights of this tour is the high standard of the accommodation. We specifically choose the hotels, inns, guesthouses and B&B’s to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay. All offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food.
Single Rooms
This independent walking holiday is available to solo walkers at a supplement. Please note that singles may not be of the same standard as twins/doubles.
Accommodation Location
We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed in the itinerary, but because of limited availability we may have to accommodate you at an alternative location. Alternative details will be noted on your accommodation sheet.
The route is waymarked with the ‘St Oswald’s Way logo - a bold black arrow (normally on wooden posts or signs). We provide you with a comprehensive guidebook and the maps and GPX tracks are also available through our smartphone app, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding your way.
- Hand picked accommodation in B&B's, guesthouses and country hotels and inns.
- Breakfast each morning.
- Daily door to door baggage transfer.
- A detailed information pack, guide book with map for your party.
- Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem.
- Travel to the start or from the finish of the walk.
- Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks.
- Travel Insurance.
- Personal Equipment.
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage.
- Additional nights before, during or after your walk.
You can start this walking tour on any day of your choice between April and mid-September. An extended season into the end of September/October is on offer. However due to luggage transfer restrictions solo walkers cannot travel on these tours at this time
By Air
Edinburgh and Newcastle airports are the closest options. Onward travel is by rail or coach
By Coach/Rail
There is a railway station in Berwick upon Tweed and there is a bus service from here to Holy Island which only operates April - September 1st. Alternatively you can take a taxi.
By Air
Edinburgh and Newcastle airports are the closest options. Travel by rail and /or coach.
By Coach/Rail
We include your last night in either Wall/Chollerford whcih is a mile from the official end of the walk in Heavenfield. Regular buses run between Wall and Hexham and then from Hexham there are buses to Newcastle along with a train service.
The best way to plan your journey if the Traveline Website.
Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you limit your luggage to one bag of 20kg.
The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.
Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and trousers), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a daypack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
We offer a range of itineraries so you can choose your preferred daily distance so hopefully you will find an itinerary that suits your preferred level of activity. If you currently don’t enjoy an active lifestyle we suggest regular walking in hilly terrain supplemented by cardio vascular exercise for at least 6 months prior to your walk. A good gym or personal trainer will be able to draw up a personalised training programme.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as St Oswalds Way is extremely popular especially in the summer months. You will find up to date availability on our website and we will always try and accommodate your plans.
You will need good walking shoes/boots (ideally waterproof), comfortable walking clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers, a daypack and hats/gloves etc. You can download a full equipment list from the downloads page of our website.
Traditionally April/May has always been the most popular time of year because the theory goes that the weather is better. Although I believe any time between late March and October offers a wonderful experience.
Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate walkers with dogs as many of the accommodation providers we use do not accept pets.
You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop.
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Why Macs
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Founded in 2003
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Positive Impact
At Macs, we don’t do tour buses, groups, or guides. Instead, we give you the freedom and confidence to have your own self-guided hiking or biking adventure.
This is active travel led by you.
You choose your departure date and who you travel with, we do the rest.
We sort accommodation and luggage transfers and provide your route in an easy-to-use app.
We give you everything you need to travel independently but we're here 24/7 if you need us.
Getting from A to B under your own steam is intensely rewarding. With Macs, you'll see the world, and yourself, differently.