Holidays
3 Night Guided Birdwatching in Northumberland

3 Night Guided Birdwatching in Northumberland

Small group holidays in Northumberland

3 nights

Oct, Nov

84kg CO2

3 nights from

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Members

From

£519

Non-members

From

£549

Groups of 10+

or call

020 3974 8865

For complete beginners and experienced birdwatchers alike, Northumberland never fails to impress with the thousands of bird species that flock to the sands and offshore islands of its National Landscapes-awarded coastline every year. Twitchers are in for a treat as they seek out some of the county’s best birdwatching spots with like-minded nature lovers as well as an expert ornithologist. By day, you’ll discover beauty spots where birdlife thrives; by night, enjoy sharing a meal and conversation about your days discoveries. To top if off, you’ll be staying in our country house just steps from the sands at Alnmouth where plenty of birds are in residence.

What You’ll Love

Daily guided visits to Northumberland’s best birding spots
The expertise of a local ornithologist leader
Visiting Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, Holy Island, and Druridge Bay
Chances to spot brent geese, red-necked grebes, owls, and much more
Relaxing at our Nether Grange, our comfortable country house
A more personalised experience thanks to small group sizes (maximum 15 people)

What's Included

Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
Local ornithologist leader
All transport throughout the itinerary
Cream tea on arrival day
Cooked or continental breakfast every morning
Daily packed lunches
Three-course evening meals, plus tea & coffee
Easy-to-follow routes, maps, and information available in our Discovery Point if you want to explore independently

Trip Suitability

Though these holidays don’t cover great distances on foot, they are still active. You'll be hopping on and off the coach and should expect to spend the majority of the day on your feet. Walking to the birdwatching sites may take you across country tracks or footpaths and, at times, off the beaten track so be sure to bring sturdy shoes.

Itinerary

All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.

Close all Expand all

Check-in at the hotel is available from 16:00. If you are a member you can arrive at the house from 14:00. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea at 16:30 and meet other guests.

Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve

Also known as Holy Island, Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve is the jewel in Northumberland’s crown when it comes to birding. During winter, thousands of wildfowl and waders flock to the area, including almost the entire population of Svalbard breeding population of pale-bellied brent geese. We spend the day here, exploring the best birding sites. Keep an eye out for red-throated divers, great northern divers, slavonian and red-necked grebes, whooper swan, pink-footed geese, and wigeon (over 20,000 can be found here at any one time).

Druridge Bay 

Another of our favourite sites is Druridge Bay. Six miles of long sandy beaches backed by sand dunes provide a series of ponds, patches of scrub, hedgerows, and fields – the perfect spot for year-round bird watching. The hides around Cresswell Pond, Druridge Pools, and East Chevington provide views overlooking fresh water and reedbeds where waders and wildfowl spend the winter months and owls and raptors patrol in search of food. Keep your eyes peeled for long-eared owl, hen harrier, divers, grebes, merlin, peregrine, geese, plover, snipe, godwit, and more.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.

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Accommodation

Nether Grange

You can tell that you’re in for something special at this former 18th century granary in the heart of Alnmouth – the postcard-pretty coastal village treasured for its colourful cottages, superb walking routes, and peaceful beach where the River Aln meets the North Sea (in its heyday, it was a working river-port, exporting grain, wool, coal, and even the odd pipe of Madeira wine). Not only will you be a 40-minute drive from Northumberland National Park, but also within easy travelling distance of several visit-worthy castles, including Alnwick, Lindisfarne, Dunstanburgh, and Warkworth. If the weather’s nice, a boat trip to the Farne Islands that lie just offshore midway between the villages of Seahouses and Bamburgh rewards with sightings of England's largest grey seal colonies.

A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out).

Evening entertainment

While evening entertainment varies from house to house, HF Holidays Inter-House Quiz night held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided waking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.

Walks talks
Our HF Holidays walk leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on guided walking holiday arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s guided walks (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.

The walking day
Prior to setting off on guided walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house.

Check in & check out

You are welcome to check in from 4pm at the earliest. HF Members can check in earlier, from 2pm. On arrival, you’ll enjoy a complimentary cream tea and get to meet your fellow guests, our HF Holidays Leaders, and the rest of the friendly team. Check out 10am.

• 34 well-appointed guest rooms • Exclusive occupancy: 44 guests minimum • Check in from 4:00pm • For members check in from 2:00pm • Free Wi-Fi • Boot room and drying room • Discovery Point offering a wide range of local area maps, route guides, and information for self-guided walks • Books and games to borrow • Licensed bar • Lounge • Garden • Outdoor chess set

Seasonal dining, tailored for you

Our team of skilled chefs design our dinner menus to showcase the best of each season, from warming winter comfort food to vibrant summer dishes, including vegetarian, vegan and high-protein options. We also source fruit and vegetables within a 40-mile radius of each house, open every break with a Chef’s Special menu inspired by dishes and flavours of the local area, and are able to adapt dishes to suit special dietary requirements.

Welcome Cream Tea

What better way to start your stay than with a cream tea, served fresh on arrival to make you feel instantly at home. A quintessentially English tradition, our scones are baked in-house and served with preserves and clotted cream, providing the perfect opportunity to meet fellow walkers.

A hearty breakfast to start the day

Start the day with a freshly-prepared cooked breakfast and a wide choice from our continental buffet, including hot drinks, juices and fresh fruit. Our team offer a quick and friendly service, leaving you fuelled and ready for your day’s adventures.

Our famous picnic lunch

Our personalised picnic lunches are perfect for a day out walking, ready to enjoy when hunger strikes. Choose from a large selection of fresh sandwiches and salads, freshly baked cakes and snacks, including the ever-popular Freddos chocolate bar! Everything is designed to fit neatly into your rucksack, and all of the packaging we provide is recyclable or compostable.

3-course evening meals

Our à la carte evening menus feature a wide choice of starters, mains, and desserts, made with seasonal ingredients and, wherever possible, herbs and vegetables from our own gardens. Shared around sociable tables, dinners are relaxed occasions, with drinks available to order at the table or from the bar, and a traditional Sunday roast to round off the week.

Designed with your comfort in mind, Nether Grange has 36 well-appointed guest rooms available in two categories: Classic and Premium.

Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV.

Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.

We love: The sea-facing rooms are especially lovely.

The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply.

Room supplements

Premium single	Premium double/twin	Choose your room
£20 pppn	£20 pppn	£30 per room

*Views and layout reflect each properties unique character and location

For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Nether Grange

View more details View holidays here

More Information

Carbon Footprint - 84kg CO2

We see it as our responsibility to minimise our emissions, not just for this year but every year to come. Our work with sustainability experts, ecollective, has enabled us to measure our carbon footprint and create a strategy to reduce the carbon intensity of our product by 5% each year. Our ambition is to be net zero by 2040 – earlier if we can.

Learn more

Reviews

Code: ALN03-WBR05

2026

Back to dates

Fri 16 Oct – Mon 19 Oct 2026

Trip Note Download

Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Price - Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Supplement

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Itinerary: 3 Nights - Itinerary

Trip Type: Small group holidays

All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take an alternative route, or vary the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.

All holidays are subject to availability. Supplements may apply.

Fri 30 Oct – Mon 2 Nov 2026

Trip Note Download

Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Price - Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Supplement

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Itinerary: 3 Nights - Itinerary

Trip Type: Small group holidays

All holidays are subject to availability. Supplements may apply.

Fri 13 Nov – Mon 16 Nov 2026

Trip Note Download

Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Price - Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Supplement

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Itinerary: 3 Nights - Itinerary

Trip Type: Small group holidays

All holidays are subject to availability. Supplements may apply.

3 Night Guided Birdwatching in Northumberland

What You’ll Love

What's Included

Trip Suitability