Saughy Hill Usway Burn Circuit

[JonetCol]

Great walk with great views along beautiful Coquet Valley from very early ascent. Parking on a gravelled area on the road across the Coquet from Shillmoor Farm, I walked W to cross a bridge and double back E along the road S of the farm buildings to cross a ford (near a footbridge) and follow a track E, soon to hairpin W and then ascend N to the lower slopes of Saugh Rigg. Very soon great views opened E into precipitously sided Wholehope Burn. The track was excellent underfoot until reaching a small summit above Copper Snout where I left it to head N on a fainter (still good) path to veer NE to meet a stile in a fence higher on Saughy Hill. From here I headed N then NW to reach the flattish summit. The views should have been spectacular N & W towards The Cheviot and Windy Gyle, NE across the conifers to Bloodybush and S to the flanks of the Coquet Valley and possibly Simonside beyond, Sadly low cloud and drizzle limited visibility to a few metres.

I returned to the stile and followed a good path to descend SW to Spit Hopes. From there I continued to the Usway Burn and followed the excellent path alongside it S to the SP on the road opposite Shillmoor.Farm.