United Kingdom
Description
Hiking, most likely, was invented in the UK. Scores of 19th century romantic novelists described their country through the eyes of their key figures walking the paths of their countryside! Still today, the British Isles are very welcoming to walkers. We admit, it does rain now and again. But such lovely nature is the result, with forever green, lush meadows and hills dotted with sheep. Always keep in mind: bad weather doesn't exist, only bad clothing. So put on your coat and discover the thousands of miles of British long distance footpaths.
All British long distance footpaths are worth walking, but some stand out in popularity. The Coast to Coast Path in the north of England, crossing the famous Lake District and two other national parks, is one of these. Another is the South West Coast Path, almost 600 miles of rugged coast, seagulls and fish'n chips. If you prefer to set out your own trail, Scotland and the Inner and Outer Hebrides are the place to go. The UK is also home to the so-called Peak Baggers, folk who will not rest before they have climbed every hill over 3000 feet (the Munroes).
Some 19 footpaths comprise the so called "National Trails", and you can decide they are more rewarding than others. Bear in mind that this is not the case; other trails can be of equal beauty. The popular Coast to Coast Path has no official status whatsoever! Anyway, here are the 19 National Trails:
- South West coast Path, 631 miles, 1016 km, 45 days
- Pennine Way, 270 miles, 435 km, 18 days
- Thames Path, 183 miles, 294 km, 11 days
- North Downs Way, 152 miles, 245 km, 11 days
- Pennine Bridleway, 121 miles, 195 km, 7 days
- Cleveland Way, 109 miles, 176 km, 9 days
- Cotswold Way, 102 miles, 164 km, 7 days
- South Downs Way, 101 miles, 163 km, 6 days
- Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path, 93 miles, 149 km, 7 days
- The Ridgeway, 87 miles, 139 km, 6 days
- Hadrian's Wall Path, 84 miles, 135 km, 6 days
- Yorkshire Wolds Way, 79 miles, 127 km, 6 days
So far England, now Wales:
- Pembrokeshire Coast Path, 186 miles, 299 km, 12 days
- Offa's Dyke Path, 177 miles, 285 km, 11 days
- Glyndwr's Way, 132 miles, 213 km, 9 days
And four so called Long Distance Routes in Scotland:
- Southern Upland Way, 212 miles, 341 km, 12 days
- West Highland Way, 95 miles, 153 km, 6 days
- Speyside Way, 84 miles, 135 km, 6 days
- Great Glen Way, 73 miles, 117 km, 6 days
Ordnance Survey publishes maps, and there are trail guidebooks of most footpaths. The guides usually include detailed maps, so you won't have to buy these separately. All footpaths are meticulously waymarked. Although British mountains are not as challenging as the Alps, when walking the mountains of Scotland and Wales be prepared for sudden spells of wind, rain and dropping temperatures during all seasons. Hypothermia and exhaustion are a real danger, so bring proper clothes. When walking more remote trails, also bring a tent and camping gear, including protective measures against the legendary midges; tiny mosquito's that will attack relentlessly during the long summer evenings. In more populated areas you will find lodging at regular intervals, such as B&B's, Youth Hostels and hotels.
Opinions
- pc22
- Rate 9
Map
Trails
- A Dales Highway
- All Wales Coast Path
- Allerdale Ramble
- Annandale Way
- Arran Coastal Way
- Beacon Way
- Beacons Way
- Borders Abbeys Way
- Calderdale Way
- Cambrian Way
- Cape Wrath Trail
- Cateran Trail
- Cheshire Ring Canal Walk
- Cleveland Way
- Clwydian Way
- Coast to Coast Walk
- Coed Morgannwg Way
- Coleridge Way
- Copper Trail
- Cotswold Way
- Cowal Way
- Cumbria Way
- Dales Way
- Dartmoor Way
- Dava Way
- Downs Link
- Dyfi Valley Way
- E2
- E8
- E9
- Essex Way
- Fen Rivers Way
- Fife Coastal Path
- Geopark Way
- Glamorgan Ridgeway
- Glyndŵr's Way
- Great Glen Way
- Greensand Ridge Walk
- Greensand Way
- Guernsey Coastal Path
- Hadrian's Wall
- Heart of England Way
- Hereward Way
- High Weald Landscape Trail
- Highland High Way
- Icknield Way
- Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path
- Isle of Jersey Coastal Path
- Isle of Man Coastal Path
- Isle of Wight Coastal Path
- John Muir Way
- Kintyre Way
- Lady Anne's Way
- Lairig Ghru
- Lands End to John o'Groats
- Lea Valley Walk
- Leland Trail
- Liberty Trail
- Limestone Link
- Limestone Way
- Llŷn Coastal Path
- Mary Queen of Scots Way
- Mendip Way
- Minster Way
- Monarch's Way
- Moray Coast Trail
- Moray Way
- Nene Way
- North Buckinghamshire Way
- North Downs Way
- North Sea Trail
- North Wales Path
- Northumberland Coast Path
- Offa's Dyke Path
- Oxford Canal Walk
- Oxfordshire Way
- Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path
- Pembrokeshire Coast Path
- Pendle Way
- Pennine Bridleway
- Pennine Way
- Quantock Greenway
- Reivers Way
- Ribble Way
- Ridgeway
- River Ayr Way
- Rob Roy Way
- Robin Hood Way
- Saint Cuthbert's Way
- Saint Oswald's Way
- Saints Way
- Santiago de Compostela Pilgrims Way
- Saxon Shore Way
- Scottish Coast to Coast
- Severn Way
- Shakespeare's Way
- Shropshire Way
- Sir Walter Scott Way
- Sirhowy Valley Walk
- Solent Way
- South Downs Way
- South West Coast Path
- Southern Upland Way
- Speyside Way
- Staffordshire Way
- Stour Valley Path
- Suffolk Coast and Heaths Path
- Tarka Trail
- Teesdale Way
- Thames Path
- Trans Pennine Trail
- Two Moors Way
- Ulster Way
- Usk Valley Walk
- Via Francigena
- Viking Way
- Wayfarer's Walk
- Wealdway
- Weavers Way
- West Highland Way
- West Island Way
- Windermere Way
- Worcestershire Way
- Wychavon Way
- Wye Valley Walk
- Yorkshire Wolds Way
Regions
- Anglesey
- Arran
- Ayrshire
- Berkshire Downs
- Berwyn Range
- Black Mountains
- Bodmin Moor
- Border Country
- Brecon Beacons
- Bute
- Cairngorms
- Cambrian Mountains
- Cambridgeshire
- Campsie Fells
- Carneddau
- Ceredigion
- Channel Islands
- Cheviot Hills
- Chiltern Hills
- Clwydian Hills
- Clyde Valley
- Coll
- Colonsay
- Cornwall
- Cotswolds
- Cuillin
- Cumbria
- Dartmoor
- Devon
- Dorset
- Dumfries
- Exmoor
- Forest of Bowland
- Forest of Dean
- Galloway Hills
- Glen Coe
- Glens of Antrim
- Glyderau
- Gower Peninsula
- Grampians
- Guernsey
- Hampshire
- High Weald
- Holy Island
- Inner Hebrides
- Islay
- Isle of Man
- Isle of Wight
- Isles of Scilly
- Jersey
- Jura (Hebrides)
- Kent
- Kintyre
- Lake District
- Lancashire
- Lewis and Harris
- Lincolnshire
- Lincolnshire Wolds
- Llŷn Peninsula
- Loch Lomond
- Loch Ness
- London
- Lothian
- Malvern Hills
- Mendip Hills
- Midlands
- Moelwynion
- Mourne Mountains
- Mull
- New Forest
- Norfolk
- North Downs
- North York Moors
- Northumberland
- Northwest Highlands
- Ochil Hills
- Orkney
- Outer Hebrides
- Oxfordshire
- Peak District
- Pembrokeshire
- Pennines
- Pentland Hills
- Perthshire
- Preseli Hills
- Pumlumon
- Quantock Hills
- Raasay
- Rùm
- Rhinogydd
- Scottish Highlands
- Shetland
- Shropshire Hills
- Sidlaws
- Skye
- Snowdonia
- Somerset
- South Downs
- Southern Uplands
- Sperrin Mountains
- Sussex
- Torridon Hills
- Wye Valley
- Yorkshire Dales
- Yorkshire Wolds
States
Mountains
Links
Facts
- Anthony Dyer's Mountain Pages - hiking in Scotland and Norway
Anthony Dyer does a very good job describing the many hiking possibilities in the UK - especially the Munro's in Scotland - and Norway. He has a good hand of photographing and there is even a section on how to become a good photographer yourself. Recommended.
- Isle of Arran Coastal Way, Scotland, UK
Home page of the Arran Coastal Way. Accommodation list. Sketch of trail.
- Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pretty complete list of Paths in the United Kingdom.
- National Trails
Official website of all national trails in England and Wales.
- Walking Places - Walking Journals & Diaries
Great place for hikers: "your place on the web to store and publish your walking journals, diaries and guides". Special sections on the Coast to Coast walk. Opportunity to add your own microsite.
- Fellwalker: Landscape Photos Walking books
Information on hiking in Britain; a bit unordered.
- Ramblers | Paths by region | Paths and routes: Regions
Comprehensive list of all footpaths in the United Kingdom.
- The Walking Englishman
The Walking Englishman does a good job in collecting information on British trails.
- Walks & Walking-Routes : A directory of UK online walks, walking directions, walking routes, route maps etc
A large web directory of walking links, organised by region.
Reports
- A blog of my travels » Walks
The "I" in this blog keeps a good record of quit some UK walks.
- Annierak - Home Page
Annierak? "That's Me That Is!". She's collecting trails like you and me collect stamps. Follow this sunspectacled girl "busy trying to do as many National Trails, LDPs, Regional Routes and Local walks as possible."
- BritishWalks.org Walks Index
"Since the beginning of 1999 I have made over 800 walks throughout the UK, totalling over 14,000 miles. This website details all of these walks". David Coton maintains a great hiking page! The word "details" above is an understatement...
- Tim Bertuchi ~ Walking Website
"My name is Tim Bertuchi and one of my favourite pastimes is walking / hiking": Tim describes some 20 long distance walks he has made in the UK.
- Trail walking: across the nations
The walking website of the Aylmer Family, describing the crossing of Scotland, Wales and England by foot, including some better known long distance trails.
- A Walker's Ramblings
David Cotton is a real British trailblazer and some of the finest texts on the internet are his. He also keeps a blog, with some hiking, but mostly more general observations: "Thoughts on the state of the world".
- Backpacking in Britain
This site is about backpacking mainly in mountainous and remote regions of England, Wales and Scotland, but also covers a few low-level routes and day walks. The backpack routes are mostly self-designed and exclusively wild-camped. The Trips&Photos section lists all the routes by date and area.
- Brilwalks
Reports of walks made since 2001 in different part of the UK: Cotswolds, Eastern England, Midlands, Peak District, West Penines, Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia and South Wales. With pictures.
- Gregg Neilson's Homepage on Walking Places
Gregg chooses to start his homepage with "How I Started This Madness!". Many of us have a little man in their brains saying the same thing. He describes his UK walks.
- Ian Fisk's Homestead about Tramping (Hiking)
Ian Fisk lives in New Zealand and on his home page he describes walkes in his own country and in England and Scotland.
- Janice and Alastair Lightlys Walking Page
with some well known long distance paths in the UK.
- Lonewalker on Walking Places
Lonewalker keeps a walking blog, records some of the popular long distance ways, tells you about his gear, and more..
- Long Distance Walking
Sergio blogs some long distance hiking in the UK. You can follow him.
- Pete's Trip Reports
Pete Lockey shares his enthusiasm for British (and some other) long distance walks.
- Rambling Pete's Journal
Rambling Pete offers his journals of several UK long distance hikes, and many day hikes.
- Walking and camping the West Highland Way and other Long Distance Paths in Scotland
A personal account of some well known trails in Scotland.
Guides and maps
- Happy Hiker
The Happy Hiker website provides simple to follow directions for various walking routes, including GPS downloads and gives basic advice on a variety of walking issues.
Lodging
Organisations
- Long Distance Walkers’ Association
As they write: "The LDWA is an Association of people with the common interest of walking long distances in rural, mountainous or moorland areas." The Long Distance Walking Association is member of the European Ramblers' Association.
- Ramblers’ Association
In their own words: "We are Britain's biggest walking charity. We've been working for over 70 years to promote walking and to improve conditions for everyone who walks in England, Scotland and Wales."
Tour operators
GPS
- GPS Waypoints + Routes for Walking UK Mountains Munros Wainwrights
Huge resource, mainly UK.
- Trail Routes
Database of Trail magazine's archive of over 500 trails in the UK. The majority are day-hikes, but some are long distance. Some are free, some are not.
Other
- Walking Places Forum
Drop your questions here.
Books

United Kingdom
2013
- The Relative Hills of Britain
- A guidebook to walking all the Marilyns in Britain, Europe - the hills that are high with regard to the surrounding land with a drop of 150m or more on all sides. An invaluable reference work for all walkers, this guidebook contains a fascinating collection of not too serious facts and figures and is illustrated with very clear maps. Read more

United Kingdom
2011
- The UK's County Tops
- Inspiring guide to 82 walking routes reaching the tops of the UK's 91 historic counties in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, from Inverness-shire's Ben Nevis (1344m) to Huntingdonshire's Boring Field (80m) visiting 10 national parks and the full range of UK countryside. OS maps, colour photography, many county facts. Read more
- Also available from:
- The Book Depository, United Kingdom
- De Zwerver, Netherlands

United Kingdom
2011
- The UK's County Tops
- Reaching the Top of 91 Historic Counties Read more

Netherlands
2011
- Wandelgids Walking guide to UK County Tops - Groot-Brittannië | Cicerone |
- Inspiring guide to 82 walking routes reaching the tops of the UK´s 91 historic counties in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, from Inverness-shire´s Ben Nevis (1344m) to Huntingdonshire´s Boring Field (80m) visiting 10 national parks and the full range of UK countryside. OS maps, colour photography, many county facts. Wherever you... Read more
- Also available from:
- De Zwerver, Netherlands

Netherlands
2010
- Reisgids wandelgids Book of Britain´s Coastal Walk | AA |
- Featuring more than 100 routes from around the shores of England, Wales and Scotland, the Book of Britain´s Coastal Walks offers something for everyone. Whether a family on a day out at the seaside, an experienced rambler along coastal paths or just someone wanting to explore a new and fascinating coastal landscape, this book provides a wealth... Read more

United Kingdom
2009
- The National Trails
- Complete Guide to Britain's National Trails Read more
- Also available from:
- Cicerone Press , United Kingdom
- De Zwerver, Netherlands

United Kingdom
2009
- The National Trails
- This inspirational guidebook looks at each of the UK's 19 National Trails. Presenting the information in a way that allows ease of comparison and contrast, with practical details to help you plan your walk. Some Trails are short and easy, others much longer, many have strong themes - they may follow a coastline, or traverse ranges of hills. Read more

Netherlands
2009
- Wandelgids the National Trails - Great British Walks - Engeland, Wales en Schotland| Cicerone |
- Guidebook to Britain´s National Trails - 19 long-distance walking routes through England, Wales and Scotland, describing what makes each of them so special and providing the practical information to help you plan your route. A definitive reference to the best of British walking. England South West Coast Path South Downs Way North Downs Way The... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom
- De Zwerver, Netherlands

United Kingdom
2007
- Walking in Britain
- Walking in Britain in the Walking Guide series from Lonely Planet; profiling in comprehensive detail the walking opportunities, from day walks to long distance hikes, available in a range of international destinations. Frank and informal in style, the guides introduce readers to a selection of walks in each country and are designed to be... Read more

Netherlands
2007
- Lonely Planet wandelgids Walking in Britain / Engeland / Schotland / Wales |
- Een gedetailleerde beschrijving van een aantal dag- en meerdaagse tochten verspreid over het land. Vooral zeer handig als het gaat om een route te plannen. Engels. Lonely Planet, Get your boots into Britain: best ancient trails in southern England and coastal paths in Wales; windswept moors in northern England and mountain ascents in Scotland.... Read more
- Also available from:
- De Zwerver, Netherlands

Netherlands
2007
- The big Walks of Great Britain / wandelen in Groot-Brittannie |
- Goed boek om eens vooraf alle lange afstandspaden in Engeland, Wales en Schotland te vergelijken. Niet zozeer een echt routeboek, maar uitstekend leesboek voor het overzicht. Serves as a companion to the fifteen best-loved long-distance footpaths of Great Britain. This comprehensive guide to the best big walks offers descriptions of the trails... Read more























































