The purple radiance of Northumberland's moorlands cannot be overstated. Few places throughout the north east of England are as resplendent as the Harbottle Hills and whereas the slopes in the late summer months are a carpet of purple heather and green fern, the ridges that scour and furrow the landscape are buttressed with rock formations that look both dramatic and romantic as the setting sun glances to the west. Heather weaves between the rocks in rivers of purple and violet and like the vibrant golden landscape of Allen Banks in the autumn, the Harbottle Hills are one of my favourite destinations that I head to whenever the heather is in bloom.