The National Trails

This inspirational guide to 19 of Britain’s National Trails features long-distance riverside walks, coastal routes and hill and mountain hikes in some of the most beautiful landscapes of England, Scotland and Wales. Ranging from 78-631 miles (126-1016km) in overall length, each trail can be tackled in its entirety or split into shorter multi-day or week-long outings, depending on how much time you have available. Perfect for planning your trip, with overview maps, elevation profiles and day-by-day outline descriptions of each trail. Packed with advice on how to walk your first long-distance route, including fitness, when to go, what to take, organising your daily routine and what to do in an emergency. Includes details of how to access trail starts and finishes, public transport, maps, guidebooks, TICs, accommodation and useful websites. Shorter trails of around 100 miles (160km) or less - such as the Cotswold Way, Hadrian’s Wall Path, Great Glen Way, West Highland Way and South Downs Way - can be walked in around 6 days. Medium trails of around 150-200 miles (240-320km) - such as the North Downs Way, Thames Path, Pennine Bridleway, Southern Upland Way and Pembrokeshire Coast Path - can be walked in around 9 to 12 days. The longest trails - the Pennine Way (270 miles/435km) and South West Coast Path (631 miles/1016km) - can be walked in 18 and 45 days respectively.