From Yorkshire Peaks to Scottish volcanoes, there's no reason you can't find beauty, adventure and totally breathtaking landscapes on your doorstep. Over a decade ago, Esther & Omar were munching on nut butter as they hiked through the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Today, the munching on nut butter hasn't changed one bit, but the scenery certainly has. Here's some of our team's favourite hikes throughout the UK - we hope you find something to inspire you!
The South West Coastal Path runs from Dorset to Somerset and covers rugged cliffs, sleepy fishing villages and epic surfing spots along the Devon and Cornwall coastline. The whole route is 630 miles and you’d need over 50 days to complete it, bu many people jump on the well-signposted path half way through and spend a week tackling a sizeable chunk. The Jurassic Coast is a particularly beautiful stretch, where you can quite literally take a journey through time as you witness the impact of the sea in the amazing rock formations and cliff faces on the coastline, including Durdle Door. Passing through world famous fossil sites like Lyme Regis, you may even spot an ammonite and leave with your own prehistoric souvenir.
The Pennine Way connects Northern England to the Scottish borders, through the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales with one epic vista after another, even briefly intersecting with Hadrian's Wall. Be warned: this is a hilly one! You can tackle the Three Peaks if you're really up for a challenge, but even if you opt for a flatter route, you'll still get to brag about properly traversing the English countryside on this 260 mile hike.
For truly breathtaking scenery, go further North and brave the Scottish mega-landscape between Glasgow and Fort William on the West Highland Way. You’ll pass glassy lochs and heather-covered meadows through to steep mountain paths. This is a challenging one, but if you've still got energy by the end, you'll be standing at the foot of Ben Nevis and the challenge to ascent the highest point in the UK (at 1345m) could just tempt you.
Of course, not everybody wants to spend days at a time on the road. An unforgettable hike can still be done in a day trip! These are some of our favourites:
The West Highland Way, Source: Walk Across Scotland
For a bit of history, explore the ‘oldest road in Britain’ on The Ridgeway in the Chiltern Hills, where travellers and traders have crossed since prehistoric times. This surprisingly remote part of central England also makes for fantastic cycling or trail running routes for those less inclined to walk.
The Glyders, Snowdonia makes for a long day but it’s more than worth it for the exceptional views of North Wales. You may need a sturdy raincoat for this area of exceptionally high rainfall in Britain, but we think that just adds to the adventure!
You could spend weeks at the Lake District and still not uncover all of its exceptional beauty, but a day trip is definitely worth it if you’re short on time. The Coniston Loop will give you stunning views at every step, and you can bringing along some famous Grasmere gingerbread for the trek is never a bad idea! If you're feeling extra adventurous, you could tackle Scafell Pike, England's tallest mountain. There's a few different routes you can take up - whichever you choose, reaching that summit is an incredible feeling.