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
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.
2. Derwent Water, Cumbria – A Walk With A Difference
Length: 2.4 miles Walking time: 2 hours 30 minutes Difficulty: Moderate
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.
3. Harting Down, Hampshire
Length: 5.6 miles Walking time: 2 hours 30 minutes Difficulty: Leisurely
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.
4. Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire
Length: 9.3 miles Walking time: 4 hours 45 minutes Difficulty: Moderate
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.
5. Bedruthan, Cornwall - The Devil’s Steps
Length: 10.7 miles Walking time: 5 hours 30 minutes Difficulty: Moderate
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.
6. Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland
Length: 5.2 miles Walking time: 3 hours 30 minutes Difficulty: Strenuous
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.
7. Colleges And The Backs In Cambridge
Length: 3.1 miles Walking time: 2 hours Difficulty: Easy
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.
8. Win Hill, Peak District
Length: 2.7 miles Walking time: 3 hours 30 minutes Difficulty: Strenuous
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.
9. Rhossili, Gower, Swansea
Length: 4.3 miles Walking time: 2 hours Difficulty: Leisurely
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.
10. From Ambleside to Todd Crag, Lake District
Length: 2.6 miles Walking time: 1 hour 30 minutes Difficulty: Leisurely
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.
Posted By
The Ramblers
The Ramblers is Britain’s largest organisation for walkers with over 100,000 members across England, Scotland and Wales.
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