Lindisfarne (Holy Isle)

Last October six of us recce'd for our winter break at Durham.  Today was the first day of our trip.

Fifty of us travelled by coach down to Berwick on Tweed and stopped there for a hot filled roll and beverage, before travelling on to Fenwick where the coach dropped us off for our walk through the fields to the causeway to Lindisfarne.  

We had to cross the main Edinburgh to London rail line.  In order to do this you have to phone the railside telephone and the signalman will tell you if and when you can cross.  We have done this several times and never had any trouble, but on this occasion the line was too busy and we would have to wait for forty minutes.  Because we were a large party, they would send a guide to make sure we got safely over the line.  We opted to go back to the coach, and were driven to the causeway where crossing to the island was challenging.  We were crossing on the sand, on the pilgrim's route and it was very wet and muddy.  However, the crossing was made safely with only a couple of falls.

The coach crossed to the island on the road causeway, and picked up the walkers and then we drove to Durham where we were booked into the Raddison Blue Hotel, right on the river and not far from the cathedral on the other side.

After our room allocation and a nice wee rest, some opting for a swim in the pool, we met up for dinner, and chatted the night away.  And tomorrow should be interesting.

I uploaded some extra shots of our day.