Best walks and hiking routes in the UK 2023

The UK possesses a wealth of variety in its cities, towns and natural landscapes, making it a great destination for holidays and staycations.

Places such as the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District, Peak District, Pembrokeshire and Cornwall showcase the rolling hills, dramatic coastlines, verdant countryside and picturesque beaches the UK has become famous for.

Such expansive rural and coastline areas make for excellent opportunities when it comes to outdoor activities and exploration. Walking is the most popular of these; in 2019, the UK government website reported that in the six months leading up to Boxing Day, over 21 million walking trips had been taken on the country’s coastal paths alone.

While many routes lend themselves to walks in all seasons, the summer months are undoubtedly one of the loveliest times to enjoy the UK’s various coastal and countryside routes.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best trails to help you plan a summer of hiking and strolling throughout the UK.

Chipping Campden to Broadway, the Cotswolds

This six-mile looping route is part of the area’s famous Cotswold Way and combines trips to two of the region’s most well-known towns. It begins in Chipping Campden, a historic market town known for its terraced high street (parts of which date back to the 14th century). The trip takes you across the meadows and woodlands of both Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, with views over the Vale of Evesham and Dover’s Hill.

You’ll eventually arrive at Broadway Tower, an 18th-century folly from which you can supposedly see up to 16 counties. After taking in the views, carry on to Broadway –another honey-hued market town with a historical high street and period houses – before heading back to Chipping Campden. The whole trail should take around four hours.

Helvellyn, Lake District

Despite several amazing nearby routes including Catbells and Buttermere, this trail was voted as the nation’s favourite walk in a 2018 vote carried out by ITV and the National Trust. It takes around six hours and covers roughly 10 miles while scaling the Lake District’s (and England’s) third-highest peak.

It starts in Glenridding, a village at…