“Our region has the most castles of anywhere in the UK due to the centuries of fighting between various Clans and Kings, involving the English, the Scottish, the Vikings, the Normans, and the Celts, amongst others. Consequentially the borders are very much battle-hardened, a tradition which even as recently as the last century has permeated the local culture, our region providing the most soldiers to both World War efforts outside of London. To this day a huge military training camp exists near Otterburn.”