Holwick Scars, Brown Dod and Collin Hill

This is a compact but rewarding 8 km / 5 mile upland circuit above Holwick in Upper Teesdale, with roughly 300 m / 985 ft of ascent, and it feels bigger than the numbers suggest because much of the route is exposed, uneven and open to the weather. The walk explores the dark escarpments of Holwick Scars, then climbs onto the broader moorland shoulders of Brown Dod and Collin Hill, where the views widen across Teesdale and the North Pennines. The usual practical start point is Holwick village near The Strathmore Arms, Holwick, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle DL12 0NJ, which is the clearest nearby landmark and the most useful reference for parking and navigation. (strathmoregold.co.uk)

The difficulty sits well in the medium range. There is no extreme climbing, but the route includes rough pasture, stony sections, moorland paths that can be faint in places, and potentially wet ground after rain. In mist, the higher ground around Brown Dod and Collin Hill can feel featureless, so this is a walk where confident route-finding matters more than the mileage alone. If you are planning in poor visibility, using HiiKER beforehand is sensible for checking the line of the circuit and the position of walls, gills and access points.

What the route feels like

From Holwick, the early part of the walk usually heads out through enclosed pasture and rising fellside, with the ground steepening as you approach the scars. Expect the first 2 to 3 km / 1.2 to 1.9 miles to do most of the climbing, gaining around 200 to 230 m / 656 to 755 ft fairly steadily. The escarpment itself is the standout feature: a long line of crags formed by the Whin Sill, the same resistant igneous rock that shapes some of Upper Teesdale’s best-known cliffs and waterfalls. Holwick Scars are especially striking because they rise abruptly above the surrounding slopes, with dark rock, broken ledges and a stepped profile that gives the hillside a dramatic edge. (geoguide.scottishgeologytrust.org)

Once above the scars, the character changes. The route becomes more open and rounded as it crosses toward Brown Dod and Collin Hill, where the walking is less about obvious landmarks and more about broad moorland space, short turf, heather patches and long views. These tops are not alpine in scale, but they feel remote because the valley drops away quickly and the skyline opens toward Mickle Fell, Lunedale and the wider North Pennines. The middle section is often the windiest part of the day, and even in summer it can feel cool on the exposed ground.

The return leg generally eases off in gradient, descending back toward Holwick by pasture and access tracks. Allow extra time if the ground is wet, because the descent can be slippery in places, especially where sheep paths braid across the slope or where water has softened the turf.

Terrain, conditions and what to look out for

Underfoot, this is a mixed route. Lower down you may find grassy field paths and farm tracks; higher up, expect rougher fell terrain with stones, cropped grass and occasional boggy patches. Good waterproof footwear is more useful here than lightweight road-to-trail shoes, especially outside a dry spell. Gaiters can be worthwhile in shoulder seasons.

The main things to watch for are:

• Exposure to wind and weather on the tops
  
• Poor visibility on the open moorland sections
  
• Wet or peaty ground after rain
  
• Uneven footing near the scars and on descent lines
  
• Livestock and working farmland around the lower sections
  

The crag edges themselves deserve care. Holwick Scars are not a knife-edge ridge, but there are abrupt rocky breaks and steep drops in places, so it is worth keeping back from the lip in strong wind or when the rock is greasy.

Landmarks, geology and natural interest

Holwick Scars are one of the defining landscape features of this side of Teesdale. Their form comes from the Whin Sill, a hard sheet of dolerite that stands out because it resists erosion more effectively than surrounding rocks. This same geology is fundamental to the scenery of Upper Teesdale, including nearby scars and famous falls such as High Force and Cauldron Snout. The stepped valley sides and cliff lines around Holwick are also tied to faulting and glacial shaping, which help explain why the landscape feels both rugged and oddly sculpted.