628563412

The Ramblers' Best Of British Walks

The Ramblers hike up and down the length of Britain to find the very best walking routes, and from windswept coastal adventures to hidden treasures in the Lake District, they’ve chosen ten of the best walks the UK has to offer.

 

To make it easy for everyone to get out and enjoy these walks, every route comes with a printable OS map, full written directions, and – for the tech geeks – GPS downloads so you can follow the route on your smartphone.

 

All the routes are developed and checked by walking experts to ensure you won’t get lost or miss the most stunning views and points of interest. Short routes are free to view - all you need to do is register with the Ramblers online. To view a huge library of walks of all different lengths, why not join the Ramblers and search their online library of more than 2,000 routes?

1. Arthur’s Seat, Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh

Length: 2.7 miles  Walking time: 2 hours  Difficulty: Leisurely

159128381

Starting point: Main entrance to the Scottish Parliament Building on Horse Wynd

 

Description: Arthur’s Seat is a dramatic dollop of Scottish wilderness rising unexpectedly from the heart of Edinburgh. There may be a steep climb to the top, but on a clear day you’ll be rewarded with views over the entire Scottish capital and beyond.

 

Get Walk

2. Derwent Water, Cumbria – A Walk With A Difference

Length: 2.4 miles  Walking time: 2 hours 30 minutes  Difficulty: Moderate

163223940

Starting point: Theatre by the Lake, Lakeside, near Keswick

 

Description: This is a walk with a difference. Not only will you wander through woodland and fields, with fantastic viewpoints en route, you’ll also swim out to and between two islands in Derwent Water: Lord’s Island and Rampsholme Island. The swims give you spectacular views down the centre of the lake to the surrounding fells.

 

Get Walk

3. Harting Down, Hampshire

Length: 5.6 miles  Walking time: 2 hours 30 minutes  Difficulty: Leisurely

479515630

Starting point: Harting Down, Hampshire

 

Description: Within the South Downs National Park, this circular walk starts and finishes at Harting Down – one of the National Trust’s largest areas of ancient chalk downland, and also a local nature reserve. Initially following the South Downs Way, the latter part of the route visits a splendid bit of land at Millpond Bottom overlooking a lovely valley. The final stretch involves an ascent of Beacon Hill for a breath-taking 360-degree panorama of the surrounding Downs.

 

Get Walk

4. Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire

Length: 9.3 miles  Walking time: 4 hours 45 minutes  Difficulty: Moderate

1146773051

Starting point: Nidd Bridge, Pateley Bridge

 

Description: This route approaches the Brimham Rocks, an amazing collection of weird rock formations, via a delightful waterside path, along the river southeast from Pateley Bridge. Delving into the thickly wooded tributary valley of Fell Beck it then winds towards the hill’s base over land inhabited since Neolithic times. Having crested Brimham Moor and explored the famous boulders, you descend over farmland criss-crossed with ancient dry stone walls. The final leg follows Pateley’s Panorama Walk, offering stunning vistas over beautiful valleys.

 

Get Walk

5. Bedruthan, Cornwall - The Devil’s Steps

Length: 10.7 miles  Walking time: 5 hours 30 minutes  Difficulty: Moderate

95727488

Starting point: Mawgan Porth Beach

 

Description: This linear walk takes you past seven perfect sandy beaches and dramatic cliffs with distinctive marine flora. Long stretches of this exceptionally beautiful coast remain wild and unspoilt and you’ll be treated to picture-postcard coves, windswept headlands as well as some old-fashioned holiday resorts. One of the highlights of this walk is the cliff top vista over Bedruthan Steps.

 

Get Walk

6. Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland

Length: 5.2 miles  Walking time: 3 hours 30 minutes  Difficulty: Strenuous

985859934

Starting point: Housesteads National Trust Visitor Centre

 

Description: This route takes you along the most dramatic stretch of Hadrian’s Wall, which offers stunning views, particularly when snow settles on the moors. Allow plenty of time to look around Housesteads Roman Fort, finding out how life was for the Roman soldiers once based there. The fort also offers stunning panoramic views from the top of its walls.

 

Get Walk

7. Colleges And The Backs In Cambridge

Length: 3.1 miles  Walking time: 2 hours  Difficulty: Easy

483843404

Starting point: Devonshire Road entrance/exit of Cambridge YHA

 

Description: This circular walk gives you a tour of some of Cambridge’s most beautiful buildings, as well as taking you to the picturesque area of the Backs, where several of Cambridge University’s colleges back onto the River Cam.

 

Get Walk

8. Win Hill, Peak District

Length: 2.7 miles  Walking time: 3 hours 30 minutes  Difficulty: Strenuous

628563412

Starting point: Yorkshire Bridge

 

Description: Win Hill is the Cinderella of the Peak District’s hills. It’s at the epicentre of a number of honeypot summits and ridges, such as Mam Tor, Derwent Edge and Kinder Scout, yet receives far less attention. Its distinctive, wind-pummelled flanks and conical shape can be seen from miles around, adding an aesthetic quality to the rugged, peaty landscape. The climb is among the stiffest in the area but rewards you at the summit, with great views showing the transformation from the green, white, limestone landscape of the south to the dark, brooding gritstone of the north.

 

Get Walk

9. Rhossili, Gower, Swansea

Length: 4.3 miles  Walking time: 2 hours  Difficulty: Leisurely

498886828

Starting point: Car park behind the Worm’s Head Hotel, Rhossili Village

 

Description: Rhossili is up there with some of the world’s most beautiful coastal locations and this walk showcases its postcard pretty sights from the Gower’s most breath-taking viewpoints. The final leg of the walk takes you along sand and surf, with the opportunity to dip your toes in the sparkling blue-green sea before heading back up the hill.

 

Get Walk

 

10. From Ambleside to Todd Crag, Lake District

Length: 2.6 miles Walking time: 1 hour 30 minutes  Difficulty: Leisurely

494669858

Starting point: Ambleside Post Office

 

Description: A circular walk from Ambleside to Todd Crag. Although the highest point reached on this walk is less than 700 feet, the views are comparable with those from many Lakeland mountains, particularly in winter when the high fells are iced with snow.

 

Get Walk

 

Posted By

The Ramblers

 

The Ramblers is Britain’s largest organisation for walkers with over 100,000 members across England, Scotland and Wales.

 

Discover the Ramblers

Let us know you agree to cookies

We use marketing, analytical and functional cookies as well as similar technologies to give you the best experience. Third parties, including social media platforms, often place tracking cookies on our site to show you personalised adverts outside of our website.

 

We store your cookie preferences for two years and you can edit your preferences via ‘manage cookies’ or through the cookie policy at the bottom of every page. For more information, please see our cookie policy.