This article was written in order to give attendees of Warbands some ideas for things to see if they were travelling from the South, but it also gives visitors the same information. There are two sections currently, covering Northumbria and the Eastern Borders and Edinburgh and the Lothians .

The Shire's preferred route to and from Scotland involves travel down the West Coast via the M6, M74/A74 and A702 or A701, since these roads are relatively quick, safe and easy to drive. However, this route does miss out a number of interesting places on the East Coast.

Northumbria and the Borders

Travel up the A1 past Newcastle, and you will pass many sites worth visiting; those of which we have visited will be commented on.

If you keep to the A1 all the way to Edinburgh you will pass several splendid castles in Northumbria. First of all, a few miles to the north east of Morpeth, on the coastal A1068 is the extensive ruin of the Percy castle of Warkworth, with a magnificent 15th century keep standing on a motte at one end of the castle. The ruin overlooks the river Coquet, on the banks of which is a Hermitage, also well worth a visit. Close by, just off the A1, is the small market town of Alnwick, which has the largest of the Percy's Northumbrian castles. Alnwick castle is still the residence of the Duke of Northumberland, but is (mostly) open to the public, though rather expensive!

North of Warkworth, past the small town of Alnmouth and off on the B1339, between Craster and Embleton are the spectacular remains of Dunstanburgh Castle. Dunstanburgh, built in the 14th century, lies on a rocky headland a mile or so's easy walk along the shore from Craster. It consists of a perimeter wall with towers, and a spectacular gatehouse, later converted to a self-contained keep by John of Gaunt in the 1380s, who put in a new gatehouse. It's well worth visiting, but I'd recommend warm clothing and a nice day, since the site is very exposed. It is also probably a long walk for younger children.

Keep on the B1339 through the little fishing port of Seahouses (trips to the Farne Islands here for bird-watchers!) is Bamburgh Castle. Unlike the previous two castles, Bamburgh is privately owned, so entry isn't covered by English Heritage and has been extensively "modernised". It's impressive from the outside - a big Norman keep with an extensive hall and tower complex surrounding it. Inside, it's more of a stately home but has a large armoury which should keep the fighters interested at least.

Just north of Bamburgh is Lindisfarne (Holy Island), but you'll need to get back on the A1 to get there. There's a tidal causeway to the island; once there, look at the priory, wander round the island and visit the castle, originally a Tudor sea-fort. The priory is run by English Heritage, whilst the castle is a National Trust property.

Next on the A1 is Berwick on Tweed. Berwick probably needs an extended stay to appreciate it all - post-period walls and barracks and the like. Its railway station is built on the site of the castle.

Another detour, this time to the west along the A698 Coldstream road will bring you to Norham Castle. Built in the 12th century by the Bishop of Durham, it was besieged regularly in the 13th and 14th century, but only taken in 1513 by James IV of Scotland - the famous bombard 'Mons Meg' was used in this siege. The castle is set on the south bank of the river Tweed, and consists of an outer bailey with wall and tower remains, separated from the inner bailey by a deep moat. Here are the Bishop's accommodations and the massive rectangular Keep.

An alternative to the A1, which I prefer, since it uses almost all the dual carriageway section of that road, but misses the long, busy, slow single carriageway section, follows the A697 at Morpeth. This road is quieter and shorter than the A1, and though it misses the sites of interest listed above, there are a couple of places to visit along it.

North of Wooler, a short detour east takes you to the castles of Ford and Etal. Ford is now in private hands and is a stately home affair, but Etal is an English Heritage property. The castle itself is reduced to a gatehouse, some wall and a small square keep, but there's a good tape tour both of the castle and of the attached exhibition which covers the castle history and the Battle of Flodden, which happened close by. In fact, if you travel a short (1 mile or less) distance north of the Etal turn and head to Branxton, you'll find the battlefield, just to the north of the village. There's a car park and a short walk up the hill to the memorial, and an informative display board showing the disposition of the armies. There's also more information in the village church.

After that, it's a straight drive north to the A68 to Edinburgh.

Edinburgh and the Lothians

Around Edinburgh and the Lothians there are a number of sites worth a visit. I'll leave out the large, well known ones, such as Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Linlithgow Palace, since any decent tourist guide will have information on them, and will concentrate on the less well known ones.

On the coast east of North Berwick, a short detour from the A1 along the A198 is the fortress of Tantallon. This castle basically consists of an immense curtain wall built across a headland, with sheer cliffs on three sides. Despite this, and the damage caused by its bombardment in the Civil War, it is well worth a visit. Rooms within the thickness of the wall house a small exhibition of castle life, there's a small artillery piece in one of the towers, the earthworks are impressive and the view even more so.

Closer to Edinburgh along the A198 is the small village of Dirleton, with its castle. This was also extensively damaged in the Civil War. The oldest portion of the castle, built for the de Vaux family, dates from the early 13th century. There have been later additions and modifications, but three of the large drum towers survive, one holding an excellent polygonal Lord's Chamber. The castle, though on a small site, is surrounded by later formal gardens.

Dirleton and Tantallon are perhaps not typical of Scots castles, which usually take the form of a rectangular, L or Z-plan tower and associated buildings, often lost. A good example of these tower houses can be seen in the area of Dirleton - Redhouse Tower is visible from the B1377, just east of Longniddry. It is not in public ownership, but can be approached fairly closely.

Further inland, and just off the A1 at East Linton, are the remains of Hailes Castle. This ruin lies on the banks of the River Tyne. Again, it's a 13th century castle and was once of substantial size, with a large square donjon. A large range survives on the river side, including a chapel and basement bakehouse. It's a good place to visit for a riverside picnic in summer.

Another "Tyneside" castle, several miles west, is Crichton. This extended tower house is to be found a couple of miles on country lanes from the A68 at Pathhead, perched high above the river. The original 14th century tower has been extended several times between then and the 16th century, by which time all four sides of the castle courtyard had been built on. The 16th century wing is the most unusual feature, being bult in a renaissance Italian style, with a diamond-faceted facade. There's also a detached stable block.

Following the side roads towards the A7 at North Middleton from Crichton leads you past Borthwick Castle, now a hotel. It's almost unaltered externally from its initial building around 1430 - a very impressive tower, with a curtain wall to the south.

Roslin, to the south of Edinburgh is well worth a visit. There's a castle, but Rosslyn Chapel is better known, for its elaborately detailed carving and Templar connections. The carving is worth the visit in itself and is highly symbolic. There's a small entry fee, but also an excellent guide to the chapel, started around 1450. The castle is a private house, but can be viewed from the outside. It sits high above a loop in the River North Esk, and is mostly ruined, except for the five story East block which is best viewed by descending to the riverside. There's also a good walk through Roslin Glen.

Lastly among the castles surrounding Edinburgh which I'll discuss is Blackness. Blackness lies on the shores of the Forth between South Queensferry and Bo'ness, on a minor road off the A904. The older parts of the castle are probably of 15th century origin, but Blackness' claim to fame is as one of the most effective artillery fortifications of 16th century Scotland - because of it's unflattering shape it's often known to shire members as the 'brick privy'. The landward walls and tower have been thickened and are generously provided with gun loops. Within the walls stands the keep, an oblong tower with a circular stair. There's also a seaward tower, which contains a pit prison, whose drain was tide-cleaned. The courtyard is bare rock, and has been used in films and TV - the 'Mel Gibson' Hamlet and the recent BBC Ivanhoe series have scenes filmed here.

There are a number of other castles, houses and monuments scattered around the region; many are in private hands and can only be viewed from the outside, if at all, but some are in the care of Historic Scotland and are well worth a visit. See their web site or guides for details.