Guests were welcomed by former MP John Home Robertson who, having handed over responsibility for Paxton House to the Paxton Trust in 1988, is now back as its temporary managing trustee.

He called for people on both sides of the border to work together to make the most of the huge but largely untapped tourism potential of the area.

"We have got so much to offer tourists and visitors to north Northumberland and the Scottish Borders," he said.

"Whether it's the environment, the hills, the sea or the history - we have got it all and yet it has still not happened as far as the area's tourism potential is concerned.

"It can be done, however, and that would be great for the economy of a rural area like this. We can work together to make it happen."

He felt there were excellent opportunities coming up to promote the area, such as the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden in 2013 and the 200th anniversary of the building of the Union Chain Bridge, at Horncliffe, the oldest suspension bridge in the world still carrying traffic, in 2020.

Ruth McNeely, NNTA chairman, said: "We are very keen to make links with the Scottish Borders and want to work closely with Northumberland Tourism and Northumberland County Council to help that happen."

Lord Joicey, NNTA president, said: "The fact we are on Scottish soil is a milestone in the arrangements of the NNTA's AGM as we kickstart our 25th year and our silver anniversary celebrations.

"We will be looking forward to significant anniversaries such as Flodden in 2013 but this is very much an opportunity to take stock of where we have come from.

"The NNTA has probably been one of the greatest tourism associations in the UK but because of our geography we are not always recognised as being mainstream. It's a shame other groups have not necessarily learnt from what we have done."