A walk in Northumberland's Simonside Hills is a beautiful way to spend the day whatever time of the year it is.
The hills, which lie southwest of the town of Rothbury and are just inside Northumberland National Park, are a popular spot with walkers, partly because of the scenery, but also due to the many historic peculiarities in the area. However, there's a particularly pressing reason to visit them around this time of year - The Solstice Stone.
Officially known as Thompson's Rock, the stone stands on the lower slopes of the easternmost Simonside Hill, The Beacon, and is said to line up perfectly with the midsummer sunset on the longest day of the year, June 21. The easiest way to get there is starting on the Simonside Ridge Walk connecting the Beacon, Dove Crag and Simonside itself - and there are a number of ways to get there.
