Exploration
6 of the UK's best long-distance walks
Don’t sit around this summer – get your hike on.
Want to unleash your inner Levison Wood and go on an epic walking adventure, but don’t have six months to spare? You don't need to travel to the ends of the Earth. Grab your hiking boots and challenge yourself on one of the many walking routes and National Trails in the UK, from the South West Coast Path to the Thames Path.
Word of caution: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, hikers should adhere to social distancing guidelines at all times while attempting these routes. For more information on accessing green spaces safely, head to the government website.
Word of caution: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, hikers should adhere to social distancing guidelines at all times while attempting these routes. For more information on accessing green spaces safely, head to the government website.
Coast-to-coast – 192 miles
One of the UK’s most popular rambling adventures, the coast-to-coast walk is a 192-mile long-distance (unofficial) walking route in Northern England. The brainchild of writer and keen hiker Alfred Wainwright, it passes through some of the UK’s most scenic landscapes and varied terrain of not one, but three national parks. Starting at St Bees on the coast of the Irish sea, the route takes you over the craggy mountains of the Lake District, through the rolling Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, ending up at Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea coast.
Pennine Way – 268 miles
The Pennine Way is a 268-mile National Trail along the rugged, mountainous, backbone of England, from Edale in Derbyshire’s Peak District, through the Yorkshire Dales to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. As well as the eye-boggling mix of scenery and terrain, trail walkers also pass through numerous places of cultural significance, like Haworth village (home of the Brontë Sisters), the cradle of the Industrial Revolution in the Southern Pennines, and the spectacular Hadrian’s Wall. Not to mention, the highest inn in the British Isles, Tan Hill Inn – the perfect spot for a refreshing pint.
South Downs Way – 100 miles
Running for around 100 miles, the South Downs Way starts in the historic cathedral city of Winchester in Hampshire and finishes with a loop around coastal Eastbourne in East Sussex. The only National Trail to lie entirely within a National Park, the route takes you through some of the most scenic countryside in the UK and is escapism at its very best. Highlights include quaint villages, like the picturesque Alfriston, rolling countryside, ancient woodland and the impressive white chalky cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head at Eastbourne, where you're rewarded with sweeping views for miles on end.
Thames Path – 184 miles
Think of the Thames Path and most people imagine the iconic London skyline and soaring skyscrapers, but there’s so much more to this walk. Following the River Thames for 184 miles, the path begins in the picturesque Cotswolds region and the source of the Thames near Cirencester, passing some of England’s prettiest countryside, towns and villages – including the 'City of Dreaming Spires' of Oxford and the pretty market town of Henley-on-Thames – all the way to the Thames Barrier in historic Greenwich.
South West Coast Path – 630 miles
Valley of Rocks on the South West Coast Path
© Robert Small
If you like your walks with sweeping coastal views and salty sea air, then the South West Coast Path is for you. At 630 miles, this is the longest National Trail in the UK. It started out as a trail for coastguards, who patrolled the south west peninsula looking out for smugglers (how very 'Poldark'). Starting at Minehead in Somerset, it runs along the coastline of Exmoor, continuing along the coast of North Devon into Cornwall where it follows the entire Cornish coastline. The route then takes you across the mouth of the River Tamar and along the south coast of Devon, before ending at Poole Harbour.
West Highland Way – 96 miles
Scotland’s first long distance trail, the West Highland Way runs from Milngavie on the outskirts of Glasgow, through some of the most spectacular scenery in Scotland – past the shores of Loch Lomond and through the rugged landscapes of the majestic Highlands and the desolate Rannoch Moor – all the way to the foot of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis, at Fort William.