Berwick-upon-Tweed

Elizabethan ramparts ring this frontier town like a stone necklace, making Berwick-upon-Tweed feel more like a miniature fortress than a modern settlement. The last time England and Scotland scrapped over this place, Charles I was on the throne - today it sits contentedly on the English side of the border, watching the River Tweed meander towards the North Sea.

Walking the town walls takes about an hour if you dawdle, and you should. The views across to Scotland are properly dramatic, especially from the section near Meg's Mount. Down by the harbour, the old stone quays still bustle with fishing boats, while the Royal Border Bridge carries trains north with Victorian confidence. Holy Trinity Church dominates the main square - one of the few churches built during Cromwell's Commonwealth.

Beyond the town, Northumberland's rolling countryside unfolds in all directions. Halidon Hill offers cracking views back towards Berwick's red-tiled roofs, while the Berwick Riverside Path West makes for a lovely afternoon stroll along the water. Prior Park provides a bit of green space without the crowds you'd find further south.

Getting here couldn't be simpler - the East Coast Main Line stops right in the town centre, with Edinburgh just 45 minutes north and Newcastle an hour south by train. By car, the A1 sweeps past the western edge of town.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense for exploring this corner of Northumberland. You're close enough to walk into town for dinner, yet surrounded by countryside that stretches to the Cheviot Hills. The coast here is wild and windswept - proper border country that still feels like the edge of things.