Cheviot Hills

Range of hills, 56 km/35 mi long, mainly in Northumberland but also extending into the Scottish Borders; they form the border between England and Scotland for some 48 km/30 mi. The Cheviots lie between the Pennines and the Southern Uplands ranges. The highest point is the Cheviot at 816 m/2,676 ft. For centuries the region was a battleground between the English and the Scots. The area gives its name to a breed of white-faced sheep.

The range lies in the northern part of the Northumberland National Park. In the 1920s and 1930s a major afforestation scheme was carried out, mainly over areas to the northwest, and this became a national forest park in 1955.

The Cheviots are thinly populated, largely grassy, and used for sheep grazing. Other peaks include Cairn Hill reaching 776 m/2,546 ft; Hedgehope Hill, 716 m/2,349 ft; Windy Gyle, 621 m/2,037 ft; Peel Fell, 602 m/1,975 ft; and Carter Fell, 553 m/1,814 ft. Rivers rising in the range include the North Tyne, feeding the Kielder reservoir, and the River Rede.

The centre of the Cheviot is formed of granite surrounded by andesitic lavas of Old Red Sandstone age.