Located on of West Hill on the top of the Cheviot in the Northumberland National Park, there is a huge rocky outcrop called Braydon Crag which stands guard over the College Valley.
Sitting at an elevation of 717m, it's nearly 100m lower that the Cheviot Trig Point and around the same height as Hedgehope Hill.
From a distance it looks like a little castle on the brow of the hill and you can see it if you are up at Auchope Cairn or wandering back from visiting the King's Seat Trig Point.
After that ridiculous hot period of the 2025 summer, I thought it would be a good time to have a trek up onto The Cheviot as surely it would be dry up there now. But nope, today was the day that it decided to be really misty. Heading up the Hen Hole, visibility was maybe 30m and I couldn't see any of the mega gorge.
However once I summitted The Cheviot it was totally clear on top and I realised there was a full cloud inversion going on! You can just see the cloud peeping out of the Hen Hole.
Then in the other direction the cloud emerged from Bizzle Crags.
A few more pics of the cloud inversion in the College Valley and towards the cairn on West Hill.
For those wondering how Braydon Crag was formed it's the usual love story of volcano meets glacier. If you didn't already know, The Cheviot is an extinct stratovolcano which was formed during the early Devonian period, sometime from about 419 million years ago to 359 million years ago.
During the last ice age, glacier erosion would have stripped away softer materials from the summit exposing rocky outcrops such as Braydon Crag, which is made from a tough material called andesite and have just had a bit of shaping and carving by the frost.
To visit, the nearest place to park is at the Mounthooly Bunkhouse (day pass required), then either high tail it straight up the bank once you are over the big style, or navigate via Bizzle Crags or Bellyside Burn. There is also a crashed aircraft a few hundred metres away from Braydon Crag and you can find them on our Bizzle Crags And 3 Aircraft Crash Sites walk.
It might be a lonely existence, but is very much compensated with glorious views over the College Valley and borders. It can even see it's pal Bellyside Crag to the east.
