St Cuthbert's Way: The Official Guide

A historic, scenic long-distance walk from Melrose to Holy Island rewards walkers with natural beauty and cultural insight.

This 100k (60 mile) walk was opened in 1996 and has rapidly increased in popularity, with thousands of walkers walking all or parts of it every year. Visiting a number of places closely associated with St Cuthbert’s life, the journey is full of historical interest and natural beauty. It can be tackled in its entirety, or sections can be walked separately, making an ideal day or weekend outing. Today’s pilgrims travel from Melrose in the Scottish Borders to the Holy Island causeway at Beal. In the right conditions, the path across the sand here makes a superb finale to the walk.

This completely revised edition of the Official Guide adds an entirely new full-colour folding map, prepared by leading Scottish cartographer Nicolson Maps for this edition, and packaged with the Guide in a weatherproof wallet. It is illustrated in full colour with photographs throughout and new maps (also by Nicolson Maps) at the opening of each section. Full of information about the historical and natural features of the route, the Guide also covers appropriate equipment for walkers, way-marking, car parking, accommodation and the Country Code. After the walk, the Guide makes a wonderful souvenir of one of Britain’s most evocative long-distance ways.

Ron Shaw is now retired but spent his career promoting travel and tourism, specialising in Germany and Scandanavia, before moving to Northumberland where one of his initiatives was the creation of the St Cuthbert's Way. Roger Smith is an experienced writer and hillwalker and has written a number of books about walking and the outdoors.