Walking holidays in the UK: The Best to Experience

For such a geographically small nation, the United Kingdom has a sensational range of walking options and terrain to suit every aesthetic taste and level of fitness. From Scotland’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, to the rolling, undulating meadows of the Cotswolds and the spectacular coastal scenery of Cornwall, there is majestic scenery in practically all regions of these fair isles. Here we look at some of the very best walks the UK has to offer, and we’re confident they can hold their own against any in the world.

Snowdonia

Let us start in Wales, with the Bochlwyd Horseshoe in Snowdonia.

Certainly not one for novices, this exhilarating scramble entails covering:

• Thin rock ridges
• Narrow gullies
• Broader outcrops

This walk is sure to get the endorphins flowing. Visiting two of the country’s best-known summits, GlyderFach (the sixth highest peak in Wales at 994m) and Tryfan (915m), the walk offers sweeping vistas of all that northern Snowdonia has to offer.

With numerous fascinating features, such as:

• The duel boulders Adam and Eve
• The eerie, haunting formation of Castell y Gwynt

The walk constantly jostles the senses and is a great option for older children upwards, assuming they have a reasonable degree of walking experience.

Pro tip: While many people argue the Snowdon Horseshoe is the National Park’s number one route, the Bochlwyd should be top of your list. It is more varied, you are sure to encounter fewer fellow walkers (although neither could ever be called crowded), and the degree of challenge can be varied to suit one’s ability by altering the course you take.

The walk can be taken on at any time of year, although winter would certainly be best left to the skilled and well-prepared scrambler. The four-mile route is a fine way to spend the better part of a full day.