Hiking in the UK
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Day Hike and Long Trek
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Walking is a popular activity in the UK, so the island of Britain is literally crisscrossed with many well-used and well-marked trails and paths. Wherever you happen to be in the UK, there's a very good chance that there is a nice trailhead nearby. Furthermore, the UK is a good place to do multi-day, cross-country treks without the onerous burden of carrying tents, provisions and other camping gear. There are many trails or groups of trails that can be run through small towns, permitting trekkers to stay overnight at an inn. However, the usual rules about wearing comfortable shoes, taking care of the feet and coming prepared for blisters still apply.
Where to Go in England
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England is home to a number of major trails, arguably the best known being the Thames Path. It begins at Cotswolds, near Cirencester, and runs for 184 miles down through the Chilterns into London, and finally to the Thames Barrier near Greenwich. The riverside path can be done in 2 weeks of pleasant strolling, 9 days of hard trail humping, or broken into small pieces and done over time.
One of the great, old cross-country trails of Britain, the Pennine Way, stretches 270 miles along the Pennine Ridge and ends in Scotland. It can't be matched for walking and taking in as much of Britain as one can on foot.
Other English trails include the 109-mile Cleveland Way in North York Moors National Park; the numerous trails of the Peak District in Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire; the historic 160 miles of the Saxon Shore walk; the 103 miles of Dartmoor and Exmoor's Two Moors Walk; and the 100 miles of the South Downs walk in East Sussex.
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Where to Go in Scotland
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Th beautiful countryside of Scotland is equally blessed with trails--many of them more rugged but shorter than those of England. The Great Glen Way spans 73 miles, running from Fort William in the west of Scotland to Inverness in the East. The romantically named Rob Roy Way runs 79 miles from Drymen to Pitlochry, through the South Highlands of Scotland. The West Highland Way is shorter at 47 miles but a bit harder, starting in the woods and farmland near Loch Lomond and ending at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Britain.
Where to Go in Wales
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Often overlooked, Wales is also home to numerous trails. Offa's Dyke Path threads its way back and forth between the frontier of England and Wales, once a heavily fought-over region and rich in medieval history. Medievalists will also want to try the Three Castles Walk. There is also the Isle of Anglesey Coast Path, which winds the full 128 miles around this Welsh island in the Sea of Ireland.
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