Otterburn, Northumberland Otterburn, Northumberland Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, England, northwest of Newcastle upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near the confluence of the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about from the Scottish border. The parish of Otterburn is at the heart of Redesdale, a Northumbrian upland valley. The name simply means otter stream, a stream frequented by otters (Old English "otor" + "brunna"). Otterburn was the site of a major battle in 1388 between English and Scottish armies. The engagement, in which the Scots took Sir
Northumberland Sandstone Hills flushes, mires, loughs and small reservoirs are dotted throughout the area. Fifteen percent of the NCA lies within the Northumberland National Park and it also contains one Special Protection Area - Holburn Lake & Moss - and 3 Special Areas of Conservation - Simonside Hills; Harbottle Moors; and River Tweed - as well as 18 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, the latter totalling 3,771 hectares. Its major watercourses are the rivers Aln, Till, Coquet, Fallowlees Burn, Font and Rede. Smaller hill ranges within the Northumberland Sandstone Hills include the Simonside Hills and Harbottle Hills in the south, and Alnwick Moor,