Ritto Hill

Tucked away in the Breamish Valley above Linhope, this modest Cheviot height offers a quiet alternative to its loftier neighbours. The terrain is largely grassy and easy-going, providing a grandstand view across the valley to the scree-streaked slopes of Dunmoor Hill and the higher mass of Hedgehope Hill.

• •Sitting directly above the hamlet of Linhope, the hill is a common detour for those visiting the 18-metre Linhope Spout waterfall before heading toward the higher Cheviot heartland.
• •The name likely stems from the Old English 'rith', meaning a small stream or rivulet, describing the various burns that drain its slopes into the River Breamish.
• •The summit offers an excellent perspective on the Iron Age hillfort of Brough Law to the southeast, which commands the narrow gap where the Breamish enters the hills.
• •It serves as an effective fitness test for the much larger Hedgehope Hill nearby; if the pull up this grassy shoulder feels like hard work, the climb ahead will be a sobering experience.