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00:00Today we're slowing things down a little to look at the best walking and hiking
00:04routes right on our doorstep. With little more than a good backpack and a pair of
00:09sturdy hiking boots you can experience some of the best natural beauty in the
00:13UK. Welcome to Travel Smart Weekly.
00:22We're starting in the north of England on the Coast to Coast Trail that stretches
00:26190 miles from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood Bay in Yorkshire, crossing the Lake District,
00:34Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks.
00:39The trail covers some beautiful countryside and also offers some particularly challenging
00:44sections such as Helvellyn's knife-edge ridge at Striding Edge, rocky scrambles around the
00:50lake at Ennerdale Water and a steep climb up Eagle Crag as well as boggy terrain to traverse.
00:57Going even further north into Scotland is the legendary West Highland Way, a rugged and wild
01:0396 miles of trails from Milne Gavie to Fort William. It covers some of Britain's most
01:09isolated landscapes and the weather can be unforgiving even in spring and summer but
01:14you'll be rewarded with unrivaled scenery including wide locks, open moorlands, vast peat
01:21bogs and craggy mountains. The highest point on the trail is the rather terrifyingly named Devil's
01:27Staircase that stands at 550 metres. From here you'll be able to look out across the sprawling
01:35Rannoch Moor before descending into the old mining village of Kinloglaven which is popular for climbing
01:42and winter sports. Heading over to Northern Ireland the Causeway Coastway covers 32 miles
01:49of scenic shoreline from Ballycastle to Portstewart. It's part of the altogether
01:54more challenging Ulster Way which runs through all six counties.
01:59The Causeway Coastway runs from Ballycastle to Portstewart covering a range of coastal terrain
02:05including sea spray soaked cliffs, secluded sandy bays and picturesque harbours. One of
02:10the greatest appeals of this trail is the many historical sites and natural wonders that you pass
02:16including the Giants Causeway, the Gobbins Cliff Path, the waterfalls at Glenery Forest Park
02:21and Dunluce Castle. Back down in the south of England the South West Coast Path covers an epic
02:29630 miles across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. Like all of the trails we've mentioned it
02:35can be broken up into sections to be tackled separately and there are plenty of day walks
02:40and family-friendly circular routes that can be carved up. One of my personal favourite sections
02:48covers the Jurassic Coast passing Dorset towns such as Weymouth and Lyme Regis as well as Lulworth
02:54Cove and the sweeping Chesil Beach. You'll also see the red sandstone triassic cliffs near Exmouth,
03:00the white chalk cliffs of Beer and the natural limestone arch of Durdaldore.
03:06My number one place to go walking in the UK is the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in Wales
03:10which stretches 186 miles from St Dogmales in the north to Amroth in the south.
03:19This beautiful trail winds along the rugged cliffs of the west of the country.
03:23It's dotted with farms and lighthouses and flanked by purple heather, rocky outcrops and
03:28wide sandy beaches such as Newgale, Broadhaven and White Sands Bay. On a very clear day at certain
03:34vantage points you can see across to Ireland. The most remote section in the north from St
03:40Dogmales to the stunning St David's Head is the best place to spot wildlife and is particularly
03:45excellent for bird watching. You have a good chance of seeing guillemots, razorbills,
03:50kituakes, fulmars, cormorants and even peregrine falcons. One of the great benefits of the UK is
03:57that it's very hiker friendly. There are countless pubs that will welcome muddy boots and tired feet
04:02with a warm meal and an overnight stay as well as plenty of campsites that are suited to multi-day
04:08hikers. Although if you are going to take on one of the more challenging routes it's a good idea
04:13to know how to read a map and compass and also make sure you're equipped with all the appropriate
04:17outdoor gear. These are just some of our favourite walks but there are plenty of others that are
04:23worth mentioning including the Pennine Way and Hadrian's Wall Park. Plus wherever you go you're
04:29likely to find pub walks, country rambles and village strolls. That's it for this episode of
04:36Travel Smart Weekly. Be sure to check in for the next episode which you can watch online on the
04:41Independence mobile app or on your smart TV. And for the latest travel news, reviews and advice
04:47visit independent.co.uk forward slash travel and listen to Simon Calder's daily podcast.