Park at the car park in Alwinton where there are toilets. £2 for a full day in August 2019. There are also some free parking spaces on the right as you drive into the village.
(S/E) From the car park, turn left and walk through the village, bearing rightwards and following the road to cross the bridge. Ignore the road on the left and continue to the Church at Low Alwinton. You will see a track on the left.
(1) Take the track (Park House) past some holiday cottages, pass an interesting and well preserved lime kiln (information board) and continue gently upwards to pass Park House. Go through a field and follow the obvious track to the edge of the wood, walk with the wood on your left, go through a second gate and the start to descend to pass through more woodland (can be muddy). Continue along the track until it has a tarmac surface. Look out for a wooden signpost on the left, pointing back the way that you have come from. Opposite this is a path to a bridge.
(2) Turn right and take the path over the bridge and past the gates to and the garden wall of the most recent castle. The minor road enters Harbottle Village. Continue straight on through the village on the footpath passing the school land village hall on the right. Leave the village and walk to the car park for Harbottle Castle.
(3) Turn right into the car park and pass through the gate following the path across the field and up the motte to the ruins of the castle.
(4) Good views of the Harbottle Hills and the Drake Stone. Return to the car park.
(3) Turn right and walk along the road (no footpath), passing The Old Manse on the left. After this, you will come to a car park on the left.
(5) Walk into the car park and take the signposted track to the Drake Stone, curving uphill through the trees. Pass through a gate and follow the path through the heather. Keep looking back the views are good. Take the path on the left to the gate to the Drake Stone.
(6) Walk around it or dare to take the easy way up the slab facing you as you arrive. From the Drake Stone, pick up the path through the heather which leads to a good view over Harbottle Lake. Descend to the lake and climb over a stile to follow the path just above the lakeside. You will come to the end of the lake beside a wire fence and yellow marker arrows.
(7) Turn right and ascend gently towards the forest. Enter the forest and follow the path which runs in a straight line, de-marked in places by old concrete fence posts. This path can be muddy and you might have to take minor detours to avoid the worst bits. The path exits the forest at a good track.
(8) Turn right onto the good track and cross a cattle grid. Follow the good track (good views) descending gently downhill to the road.
(9) Turn left at the road, cross the bridge and return to Alwinton (S/E) passing (1)
