St Oswald's Way

St Oswald's Way

A deeply historic walk featuring important landmarks associated with the 7th century King of Northumbria.

4 to 13 nights
48-101 miles
Easy to Demanding / Strenuous

From £540 per person

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About the trail

St Oswald’s Way links some of the most important sites associated with St Oswald, the 7th century King of Northumbria. Commencing from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, St Oswald’s Way follows the coastline of Northumberland past many impressive castles, fishing villages and old market towns, exploring a varied landscape of sandy beaches, heather-clad moors, pine-scented forests, rich farmland and tranquil riverbanks.

The walk also boasts a wealth of history to be discovered, including the ancient town of Bamburgh, St Oswald’s Church in Heavenfield, an Iron Age hillfort at Lordenshaws and even parts of the iconic Hadrian’s Wall are visited along the way.

We offer multiple holiday options along this trail. If you wish to experience the entire trail, simply select the first option from the list below.

Choose your route

  • This route includes dog friendly tour options St Oswald's Way
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options St Oswald's Way - Countryside Section
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options St Oswald's Way - Coast Section

Dog friendly tours available

Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.

About this route

7 to 13 nights
101 miles
Easy / Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous
21st March to 30th September
Includes Dog-Friendly Tours

From £960 per person

St Oswald's Way

This holiday option explores the entirety of St Oswald's 100-mile trail from the spiritual Holy Island of Lindisfarne to the historic village of Chollerford.

The walk boasts vast scenic diversity, incredible history and spectacular wildlife, offering unforgettable sights and experiences to satisfy everyone in your walking party. 

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
OSW1 From Holy Island to Chollerford(L) 7 nights, 6 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £960
OSW2 From Holy Island to Chollerford(L) 8 nights, 7 days walking Demanding £1085
OSW3 From Holy Island to Chollerford(L) 9 nights, 8 days walking Moderate / Demanding £1195
OSW4 From Holy Island to Chollerford(L) 10 nights, 9 days walking Moderate £1320
OSW5 From Holy Island to Chollerford(L) 11 nights, 10 days walking Moderate £1455
OSW6 From Holy Island to Chollerford(L) 13 nights, 12 days walking Easy / Moderate £1715
"Bamburgh Castle" by Bruce Lyon (2023) "Bamburgh Castle" by Bruce Lyon (2023)
"Hedgehog on the Trail" by Bruce Lyon (2023) "Hedgehog on the Trail" by Bruce Lyon (2023)
"Bailey and Quincy on a Stile" by David Sweeney (2023) "Bailey and Quincy on a Stile" by David Sweeney (2023)
"A hard-earned rest" by David Sweeney (2023) "A hard-earned rest" by David Sweeney (2023)
"Boots for everyone" by David Sweeney (2023) "Boots for everyone" by David Sweeney (2023)
"Holy Island from Budle Bay" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022) "Holy Island from Budle Bay" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022)
"Holy Island" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022) "Holy Island" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022)
"Seahouses Harbour and Inner Farne" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022) "Seahouses Harbour and Inner Farne" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022)
"Pauperhaugh and the Coquet River" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022) "Pauperhaugh and the Coquet River" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022)
"Near Low Newton-by-the-Sea" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022) "Near Low Newton-by-the-Sea" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022)
"Bamburgh" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022) "Bamburgh" by Desmond and Sheila Maltby (2022)
“Stone Sculpture on the Beach at Holy Island” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020) - “Stone Sculpture on the Beach at Holy Island” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020)
“Stone Sculpture on the Beach at Holy Island” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020) “Stone Sculpture on the Beach at Holy Island” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020)
“Sunset at Holy Island” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020) - “Sunset at Holy Island” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020)
“Sunset at Holy Island” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020) “Sunset at Holy Island” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020)
“Approaching Bamburgh Castle” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020) - “Approaching Bamburgh Castle” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020)
“Approaching Bamburgh Castle” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020) “Approaching Bamburgh Castle” by Elizabeth Hurrell (2020)
"Warkworth Castle" by Wim Munters (2019) "Warkworth Castle" by Wim Munters (2019)
"Holy Island Boat Sheds" by Wim Munters (2019) "Holy Island Boat Sheds" by Wim Munters (2019)
"Between Weldon Bridge and Rothbury" by Wim Munters (2019) "Between Weldon Bridge and Rothbury" by Wim Munters (2019)
"Bamburgh Castle" by Wim Munters (2019) "Bamburgh Castle" by Wim Munters (2019)
"Alnmouth View" by Christine May ()2018) "Alnmouth View" by Christine May ()2018)
"Duchess Bridge" by Val Ball (2018) "Duchess Bridge" by Val Ball (2018)
"Barley Fields after Bamburgh" by Val Ball (2018) "Barley Fields after Bamburgh" by Val Ball (2018)
"Bamburgh Castle" by Val Ball (2018) "Bamburgh Castle" by Val Ball (2018)
"Warkworth Castle" by Val Ball (2018) "Warkworth Castle" by Val Ball (2018)
"Lindisfarne" by Bridget Casson (2022) "Lindisfarne" by Bridget Casson (2022)
"Budle Bay" by Bridget Casson (2022) "Budle Bay" by Bridget Casson (2022)
"Half Mast at Seahouses" by Bridget Casson (2022) "Half Mast at Seahouses" by Bridget Casson (2022)

Customer reviews from the St Oswald's Way

“Lucky with the weather. Quite varied scenery and accommodation.”
Mrs Marriott, UK
“Brilliant, varied walk.”
Mrs Johnson, UK
“Very much enjoyed St. Oswald's Way. Well way marked. Met fabulous people on the route.”
Mr Howden, UK
“Excellent trip. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the walk, it was very beautiful and your planning seemed to work brilliantly. It was beautifully organised thank you.”
Mrs Tickell, UK
“Firstly, we thoroughly enjoyed our wanderings from Melrose to Corbridge. Thank you for all the planning on our behalf! I wish to thank you for putting the walk together for us. It was great to be out walking again after our cancellation in 2020.”
Mrs Bilyard, UK
“We really enjoyed the walk. Six days of dry weather and great scenery. As always, we could rely on excellent accommodation and baggage transfer. We are planning our holiday for next year.”
Dr Maltby, UK
“Had a great time - thank you!”
Mr Hall, UK
“We are back safe and sound after walking the St. Oswald’s Way. I have to say it was probably one of the most amazing walks I have done – so beautiful and so interesting and we were blessed with terrific weather. I want to thank you and Contours for organising another great walking adventure. Everything went very smoothly. The walk is extraordinary – great vistas and so much variety. We loved Holy Island and the castles and the beaches and the heather covered moorland. I’m already looking forward to booking my next walking holiday with Contours!”
Mrs Sohn, UK
“A good mix of coastal, moorland and forest walking and a final stretch along Hadrian's Wall. Very good. This was our 5th holiday with Contours and the administration, booking and planning cannot be faulted.”
Mr Gill, UK
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