When the majority of people book holidays in Northumberland, the first place they tend to focus on is the coast.
And why wouldn't they? After all, we have one of the best beaches in Europe, beautiful villages and some incredible places to eat.
However, head inland and the county has some real gems too. Hadrian's Wall is a history buff's dream, while Kielder and Northumberland National Park offer incredible stargazing and mountain biking.
Read more: History made in Wooler as first ever whisky stills arrive in Northumberland
One place that's rarely mentioned in the same breath as those is the north Northumberland town of Wooler. But that could all be about to change.
Hugely popular with walkers, Wooler is referred to as the gateway to the Cheviot Hills, and one of several into Northumberland National Park. Its caravan park, youth hostel and selection of bed and breakfasts and holiday cottages get a steady stream of families and hikers throughout the year, with the volume increasing during the summer months.
And the town's tourism industry is expected to get a further boost this autumn as the £10.4m Ad Gefrin Visitor Centre, one of the largest ever investments in this part of the county, will give tourists a place to discover the history of the Kingdom of Northumbria and visit Northumberland's first whisky distillery. £650,000 has already been invested into Wooler by Northumberland County Council, to improve car parking and public toilets ahead of the anticipated influx of guests.
But what is it like to live here? Tristan Jeffrey, who is born and bred in Wooler and has lived his whole life there, bar a few years studying in Newcastle, wouldn't swap it for anywhere.
He said: "I think the first thing is the scenery. It's a bit of an unseen wilderness and a lot of people don't realise the beauty that's up here."
Surrounded by the Cheviot Hills, it's hard to disagree with Tristan. Even before arriving, branching off the A1 to drive deeper into Northumberland's interior is a truly spectacular journey, though you do have to resist the urge to turn off for the Breamish or Ingram Valleys on your way.
Tristan continued: "It's a fantastic town to have grown up in and you feel safe wherever you are. It's a great little community too."
The 39-year-old is a popular figure in the town, working with the fire service and managing Wooler FC. Currently recovering from a hip injury, he tells me it's the first year he won't have played a minute for the football team in 15 years, and he won't be putting out any fires for the time being either.
Tristan has instead kept busy by setting up an e-bike rental company, GO Electric, with a friend from Seahouses. He continued: "We're on Cycle Route 68 and the Sandstone Way - they both run through Wooler and it's an excellent location, so we thought it was the ideal spot for a bike hire company."
But it's not just the stunning scenery that make Wooler special. The town has a tight-knit community, which really pulled together during a difficult winter when storms, such as Arwen, left residents without power - in some cases for more than a week.
Tristan continued: "When Storm Arwen hit, it just showed what a community we had. Everybody pulled together and the Angel pub was a community hub. It was fantastic."
Allison Walton, who owns the Chocolate Box on the High Street is one of the town's newest residents, having moved up from Gateshead during the pandemic. However, she's no stranger to the town, having visited several times on family holidays, citing the people as part of her decision.
Allison said: "We've had a lodge at the campsite for around six years but we've been coming to Wooler for about twenty. Like a lot of people in the lockdown, we lost a beloved brother and I decided I'm going to move there."
Allison was joined by her husband Andrew and her 21-year-old son Lewis, who still attends college in Gateshead two days a week. Together, mother and son will be giving a live presentation online to Lewis's college about independent living and having a job.
Allison continued: "Like a lot of special needs kids, I knew there wouldn't be much for Lewis after college. And so for us as a family, this is fantastic. One, we've got the most incredible shop on the high street, a traditional sweet shop, but two for Lewis's legacy.
"This job is not just my dream, but it's also going all the way back to Gateshead to support the kids at college."
Despite only being in the town for a matter of months, it feels more like years for Allison, who says they have been welcomed with open arms. And oddly enough, the High Street can be a lot of fun when there's no power.
She continued: "As I say, I've been coming here for so long, I'm absolutely in love with them (the locals). We've had so many storms that have impacted massively.
"The first thing that happens, everybody comes out and makes sure you've got candles or torches. I've got an older lady next door and straight away they come and knock on to make sure she's fine, and that we're fine with Lewis and he's not worried or scared.
"When the electricity goes off, it becomes quite a fun street. I'm blown away by it and my family are delighted that we're here with Lewis because we're getting so well looked after by the community."
Everyone I speak to both over the phone and during my visit references the strength of the town's community, much of which was out in force on Thursday March 17 to celebrate the first stage in what is hopefully a very exciting new chapter for Wooler. A parade marked the arrival of the first whisky stills to Ad Gefrin, named one of 2022's most exciting museum openings in the world, with more than 100 schoolchildren and local people gathering on the High Street to wave them through.
Mark Mather, the full time farmer who is also Wooler's local councillor, believes Ad Gefrin is the future of both the town and north Northumberland. And on the people he represents, said: "Well, this community, when there’s a problem they pull together.
"In the likes of Storm Arwen and the recent Ukraine appeal just shows how strong the community is. I’m incredibly proud to represent such a positive community."
Kath Maley, who owns Gallery @ No. 6 on the High Street took a break from restoring a double-caned armchair to watch the parade, and said: "Well I hope it’s going to be a real positive - I hope it’s good for the town. It’s obviously an attraction isn’t it?"
And Tristan is happy that there'll be something to do for tourists year-round. He added: "It's meant to be bringing half a million people to Wooler, so it's just a fantastic thing. There aren't always things for people to do, so with the distillery it's an extra something for tourists."
Alan Ferguson, co-founder of Ad Gefrin said: "The level of support from the locals is tremendous. Everybody’s behind us.
"This is going to bring tens of thousands of visitors every year into Wooler. It’s going to bring people who want to spend money in the cafes on the high street, the shops, this is going to make a massive difference."
How to get to Wooler
It seems that for both the local community and Northumberland's tourism industry, 2022 is going to be a very big year. For those who want to visit by car, the easiest way is to leave the A1 after Morpeth and continue north along the A697, with Wooler clearly signposted.
There is no train station in but Glen Valley Tours runs the 710 direct bus service twice a week between Newcastle Thomas Street and Wooler. There are also non-direct bus services which include a change in Alnwick or Berwick.
