The following are just a small selection of activities available in the Northumberland Area. For more ideas and inspiration, click here.
Farne Island Boat Trips
From Seahouses harbour you can take a trip out to the nearby Farne Islands with its wonderful bird sanctuary, see the seal colony and visit Longstone Lighthouse, famous as the home of Grace Darling.
Walking & Cycling
The Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers some of the finest coastal walking in the country. From sandy beaches to rocky outcrops, interspersed with dramatic castles and quaint coastal villages, it is a constantly changing landscape.
The Northumberland Coastal Path part of the North Sea Trail, is a 103 kilometre (64 mile) continuous coastal walking route between Cresswell in the south and Berwick-upon-Tweed in the north.
Moving further inland, Northumberland's extensive public footpath network criss-crosses open country and farmland connecting towns and villages throughout the county. From challenging long distance trails and hill walks, to leisurely circular routes through pretty hamlets and wildlife rich countryside.
St. Cuthbert's Way was inspired by the life of St Cuthbert, who began his ministry at Melrose in 650 AD, eventually becoming the Bishop of Lindisfarne. The route provides a link over the Cheviot Hills between the Southern Upland Way (at Melrose) and the Northumbrian Coastline path.
Equally accessible is the Northhumberland National Park, offering some of the best hill walking and cycling found anywhere in Britain, from short picturesque strolls to more challenging hill and moorland treks and trails in the Cheviot Hills.
Holy Island & Lindisfarne Priory
Still a place of pilgrimage even in these more secular times, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne is the very fountainhead of England's Christian heritage.
Lindisfarne Priory was the home of St Cuthbert and the birthplace of a true national treasure - the Lindisfarne Gospels, a unique illuminated Latin manuscript of the gospels of Mark, Luke and John.
The Lindisfarne Heritage Centre contains an electronic copy of the book - the real version is kept in London's British Library - and also presents a complete history of the island that brings the story of St Cuthbert to life.
Holy Island has a national reputation as a wildlife haven and is home to a national nature reserve. As well as numerous rare birds, you may even spot the grey seal that are resident on the nearby FarneIslands all year round.
Standing on a rocky outcrop overlooking the island is Lindisfarne Castle - a small fortress first built in 1550 and today looked after by the National Trust.
Alnwick Castle & Gardens
The town of Alnwick and its Gardens are only a 25 minute drive from the cottage.
Dominating the town and famous as a location for the filming of the Harry Potter Series, Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England and has been the home of the Percys, Dukes and Earls of Northumberland since 1309.
The adjacent Alnwick Gardens are beautifully landscaped gardens incorporating magnificent architecture and unique features, all brought to life with water. The Garden's centrepiece is the Grand Cascade, an iconic structure and the largest water feature of its kind in the country. Inviting pathways lead among beds brimming with plants in the Rose and Ornamental Gardens, while in the intriguing Poison Garden guides share tales of deadly plants. The Serpent Garden is home to water sculptures by William Pye, and there's also the Bamboo Labyrinth and even one of the world's largest tree houses. It has wobbly rope bridges, walkways in the sky and a treetop restaurant.