Windy Gyle

Straddling the Anglo-Scottish border, Windy Gyle is the Cheviots’ most charming identity crisis. Crowned by a massive Bronze Age cairn, it offers panoramic views that almost make you forget you’ve spent the last three miles negotiating peat hags that would swallow a small tractor.

• •The summit cairn is named after Lord Russell, who was unfortunately slain during a 'truce day' meeting here in 1585. It serves as a stark reminder that modern hiking disputes over rights of way are remarkably peaceful by comparison.
• •If you follow the 30-meter prominence rule, this rounded giant claims the title of the most easterly mountain in Scotland. It stands exactly where the Pennine Way decides to flirt with the border fence for several miles.
• •The ascent from the south follows Clennell Street, an ancient cross-border track once frequented by medieval drovers and smugglers. You can practically hear the ghostly echoes of illicit whisky barrels being hauled through the heather.
• •On a clear day, the summit provides a spectacular vantage point for seeing the Eildon Hills near Melrose and the North Pennines. It is arguably the best place in the region to watch weather systems battle for territorial dominance.
• •The name 'Windy' is a spectacular piece of British understatement that borders on professional trolling. If you don't secure your rucksack, the summit breeze will happily relocate your lunch into the neighboring country within seconds.