United Kingdom

Best walks, hikes and treks in United Kingdom [View list of walks]

About United Kingdom

The Lonely Planet has called the UK “the world’s most interesting small island”: our quibble would be with the inclusion of the word “small”.

From the beauties of Scotland, the Lake District and Wales, to history-laden areas like Hadrian’s Wall and the Cotswolds, to the delights of the mellow market towns, to the glitz and cultural depths of London, the UK offers a lot of a great deal.

British landscape famously changes entirely every 20 miles or so, and a lot certainly gets packed into a small, crowded we are told (although it often doesn’t feel that way) island. It is a lovely country to tour, with good food to be had nowadays and charming pubs still abounding to serve you that pint of warm beer. But uninspired food and service – and accommodation – are still depressingly the norm, so you still need to research a bit.

Britain has things to fascinate everyone. The variety of travel and tours you can make here is as a result huge. 

Walking, hiking and trekking in United Kingdom

The UK has some of the world’s best walks, hikes and treks, and walking, hiking and trekking tours and holidays here are so varied that everyone’s taste and energy levels can be met.  Have a look at some of the walking holidays available in England, Wales and Scotland.

Where to start? There is an enormous variety, from the wilds of the Scottish Highlands, to the poet-inspiring beauties the Lake District, to the gentle loveliness of the Cotswolds to the gorgeous Pembrokeshire and south-western coastal paths, to the deep historical fascinations  of Hadrian’s Wall, Offa’s Dyke and the Ridgeway. And don’t forget the Pennines and Dales, Exmoor and Dartmoor,  and the glories of Wales (Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons, and the Black Mountains). And that is just the start… Short bursts of glamour can be found daily, or you can hit a two-week trail. It is all there, compressed into this very magical “small” island.

Less-known but very special places include: the Cleveland Hills; (more to come)

Special regions include:

- the Scottish Highlands and Isles: enough said (well maybe not – they are famous for a good reason: they are miraculously beautiful and atmospheric if too often wet in the west): see our Cairngorms page in particular

- The Lake District, again its glories need no introduction, other than to warn about extreme crowding of the most famous places in high summer.

(More to come!)

We intend that our walk pages contain detail and photos on walking, hiking or trekking routes, including books, best times and weather, how to get there, possible problems, walking, trekking and hiking firms, organisers and guides in United Kingdom, accommodation in United Kingdom and useful links. But this takes a lot of research, so if they are not "there" yet, please give us any suggestions you may have.

Ben Hiant
Light on Loch Sunart Gellaig Ridge
West along Dee valley Mull Head, Deerness
North from Brough of Deerness - © William Mackesy

Best walks, hikes and treks in United Kingdom

You can sort the walks by category by clicking on the category titles.

(The rating of walks marked * is currently provisional.)

Region Walk Name Walkopedia Rating Difficulty Day Walk
Possible?

 England Blenheim Park
78
Straightforward Yes
 England Epping Forest
79*
Straightforward Yes
 England Oxford Kora (Martin's Trail)
79*
Variable Yes
 England Stowe Gardens
85
Straightforward Yes
 England Thames Path
82
Straightforward Yes
 England The Ridgeway
86.5
Variable Yes
 England, Cotswolds Cotswold Way
87
Moderate Yes
 England, Cotswolds Diamond Way
89
Moderate Yes
 England, Cotswolds The Cotswolds
88.5
Variable Yes
 England, East Anglia Anna's Walk
85*
Moderate Yes
 England, Hadrian's Wall Cawfields to Birdoswald
93.5
Strenuous Yes
 England, Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall Path
97
Variable Yes
 England, Hadrian's Wall Sewingshields to Cawfields
95.5
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Blencathra / Saddleback
87*
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Catbells and High Spy
87
Moderate Yes
 England, Lake District Coast to Coast, Lake District
90.5
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Cumbria Way and High Way
92
Variable Yes
 England, Lake District Grasmere / Far Easedale
88
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Great Gable
88
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Hay Stacks /High Stile Ridge
90*
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Helvellyn and Striding Edge
91
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District High Street
89*
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Langdale Pikes
87.5
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Langdale Valleys
89.5
Variable Yes
 England, Lake District Martindale
88
Variable Yes
 England, Lake District Pavey Ark via Jack's Rake
87.5*
Difficult Yes
 England, Lake District Pillar
90.5*
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Scafell Pike
89.5*
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Skiddaw
89
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District Swirl How and Great Carrs
87
Strenuous Yes
 England, Lake District The Lake District
89.5
Variable Yes
 England, Lake District The Old Man of Coniston
89
Strenuous Yes
 England, North Cleveland Way
86*
Variable Yes
 England, North Coast to Coast
87
Variable Yes
 England, North Durham Heritage Coastal Path
86*
Variable Yes
 England, North Pennine Way
86*
Variable Yes
 England, South Box Hill
75
Yes
 England, South South Downs Way
77*
Yes
 England, South Tennyson Trail, Isle of Wight
86.5*
Moderate Yes
 England, South The Pilgrim's Way
79*
Strenuous Yes
 England, South Winnall Moors
79.5*
Straightforward Yes
 England, South-west Jurassic Coast
87
Variable Yes
 England, South-west Lundy Island
87.5
Moderate Yes
 England, South-west South West Coast Path
87.5
Variable Yes
 England, South-west Two Moors Way
87.5*
Variable Yes
 England, South-west Weymouth to Kimmeridge
87
Variable Yes
 England, South-west, Exmoor Barle Valley
86.5
Straightforward Yes
 England, South-west, Exmoor Dunkery Beacon
80
Moderate Yes
 England, South-west, Exmoor Exmoor
87.5
Variable Yes
 England, South-west, Exmoor North Devon Coastal Path
86.5
Variable Yes
 England, West Malvern Hills
86
Variable Yes
 England, Yorkshire Dales Dales Way
87*
Variable Yes
 England, Yorkshire Dales Feizor Thwait and Smearsett Scar
87.5*
Moderate Yes
 England, Yorkshire Dales Ingleborough
89*
Strenuous Yes
 England, Yorkshire Dales Malham Cove and Gordale Scar
84
Moderate Yes
 England, Yorkshire Dales Sleddale and Wether Fell
89.5
Variable Yes
 England, Yorkshire Dales Wensleydale
89.5
Variable Yes
 England, Yorkshire Dales Yorkshire Dales
88
Variable Yes
 England/Wales Offa's Dyke Path
84
Moderate Yes
 Northern Ireland Mountains of Mome
84*
Variable Yes
 Northern Ireland, Causeway Coast Ballintory to Giants Causeway
89
Strenuous Yes
 Northern Ireland, Causeway Coast Causeway Coast Way
85
Strenuous Yes
 Northern Ireland, Causeway Coast Portstewart to Portballintrae
85
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland Edinburgh
76*
Straightforward Yes
 Scotland Great Glen Way
83*
Yes
 Scotland Stalking
88
Yes
 Scotland, Aberdeenshire Bennachie
87.5
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Aberdeenshire Dunottar
89
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Borders Eildon Hills
87
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Borders Southern Uplands Way
86.5
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Borders St Abbs Head
84
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Borders St Cuthbert's Way
82
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Borders The Borders
87
Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Beinn a Bhuird
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Ben Avon
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Ben Macdui
88*
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Cairn Gorm
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Cairn Toul and Braeriach
88
Variable No
 Scotland, Cairngorms Capel Mounth Track
84.5
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Carn a'Mhaim
90
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Gellaig Ridge
87.5
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Glen Callater
86
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Glen Gairn
82.5
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Glen Lui
86
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Head of the Don Valley
87
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Lairig Ghru
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Lochnagar and Loch Muick
86.5
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Muir of Dinnet (Loch Kinord and Burn O'Vat)
87.5
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Sron Riach ridge to Ben Macdui
88*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms The Cairngorms
89
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Tolmount /Jock's Road
86
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Cairngorms Upper Dee Valley
84.5*
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Mull Iona
84
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Bla Bheinn
86*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Black Cuillin Ridge
90
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Bruach na Frithe
88.5
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Camasunary and the Elgol Peninsula
87
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Coire Lagan and Sgurr Alasdair
84.5
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Coire na Creiche
83.5
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Coral Beach
85
Straightforward Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Eastern Red Cuillin Circuit
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Glen Sligachan
86*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Isle of Skye
94
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Loch Coruisk
88
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye NW Capes and Cliffs
86
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Quiraing
92
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Raasay
86
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Rhub an Dunain
90.5*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Rubha Hunish
88.5
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Sgurr Dearg and Inaccessible Pinnacle
86*
Difficult Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Sgurr na Stri
94
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Sgurr nan Gillean
89
Very Difficult Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Skye Trail
87
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, Isles, Skye Strath Mor and Strath Beag
89*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands Beinn Eighe
86*
Difficult Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands Ben Stack
87*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Ardnamurchan Silver Walk
86.5
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Ardnamurchan Ardnamurchan Area
87
Variable Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Ardnamurchan Beinn Resipol
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Ardnamurchan Ben Hiant
86.5
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Ardnamurchan Garbh Bheinn of Ardgour
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Assynt Achmelvick Bay
85*
Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Assynt Assynt Peninsula
88
Variable Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Assynt Stac Pollaidh
88
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Assynt Suilven
89*
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, NW Highlands, Knoydart Inverie to Glenfinnan
86*
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Orkney Islands Hunda Reef, Burra
83
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Orkney Islands Marwick Head
84
Moderate Yes
 Scotland, Orkney Islands Mull Head, Deerness
86
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Orkney Islands North-west Coast, Westray
88
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Orkney Islands Orkney Islands
87
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Orkney Islands Skara Brae to Stromness
86
Variable Yes
 Scotland, Orkney Islands The Old Man and St John's Head, Hoy
85
Variable Yes
 Scotland, SW Highlands Ben Nevis
84
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, SW Highlands Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse, Rannoch Moor
86.5
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, SW Highlands Kingshouse to Kinlochleven
86.5
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, SW Highlands Kinlochleven to Fort William
86.5
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, SW Highlands Upper Glen Nevis
84
Strenuous Yes
 Scotland, SW Highlands West Highland Way
87.5*
Strenuous Yes
 Wales Ceredigion Coastal Path
88*
Yes
 Wales Craig Cefn Parc
77*
Straightforward Yes
 Wales, Black Mountains Black Hill Ridge
87.5
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Black Mountains Black Mountains
85.5
Variable Yes
 Wales, Black Mountains Castell Dinas and Rhiangoll Valley
87
Moderate Yes
 Wales, Black Mountains Crug Hywel
87.5
Moderate Yes
 Wales, Black Mountains Hatterrall Ridge
86.5
Variable Yes
 Wales, Black Mountains Skirrid Fawr
85
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Black Mountains Sugarloaf
87.5
Moderate Yes
 Wales, Brecon Beacons Brecon Beacons
87
Variable Yes
 Wales, Brecon Beacons Fforest Fawr
85
Variable Yes
 Wales, Brecon Beacons Pen Y Fan
87
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Brecon Beacons The Beacons Way
86
Variable Yes
 Wales, Brecon Beacons The Black Mountain
85
Variable Yes
 Wales, Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire Coast Path
87.5
Variable Yes
 Wales, Pembrokeshire The Golden Road, Preseli Hills, Pembrokeshire
88*
Moderate Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Bala Lake
82*
Moderate Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Cadair Idris
90
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Carneddau
89
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Carneddau from the South
89*
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Crib Goch Ridge
86
Very Difficult Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Glyderau
89
Variable Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Glyderau from Pen-y-Pass
86
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Mawddach/Dolgeallau Area
88
Variable Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Miners, Pyg Tracks
86
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Mount Snowdon
84
Variable Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Nantlle Ridge
88.5
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Snowdon Horseshoe
86
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Snowdonia
89
Variable Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Tryfan
91
Variable Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Watkin and Rhyd Ddu paths
87
Strenuous Yes
 Wales, Snowdonia Y Lliwedd
90
Variable Yes


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