Hiking around Carlisle

The great border city of Carlisle is wonderfully placed for myriad hiking adventures. Walks around Carlisle contain their fair share of history and stunning scenery. There are woods to explore and hills to ascend, while strolls along the River Eden reveal gorgeous parkland and can eventually bring you to the open skies above the Solway Firth, a haven for birdlife.

Carlisle’s location on the Scottish border has seen the region endure a tumultuous past. Hadrian built his famous wall across this land; King Richard I was slain by the Scots on the Solway’s Burgh Marsh; and Carlisle’s 900-year-old castle was the last in England to suffer a siege, during the Jacobite Rising. All of these sites make for beguiling objectives for a day’s walk.

Perhaps the finest hikes around Carlisle take to the hills. In the east, you’ll find the wild moors of the North Pennines and popular beauty spots like Talkin Tarn, RSPB Geltsdale and Talkin Fell, with its unusual array of cairns and breathtaking views. To the south, the fells of the northern Lake District form the horizon; England’s favourite national park is only a short drive from the city.