Walking trip in UK

[2trapper]

Dear all,
I'd like to ask about my holidays. I'm planning a trip (up to 4 friends) basically based on walking and camping. The main features of the trip would the

• a trip from 8 to 12 days
• UK or Europe based
• primary camping based, but some rest in a B&B accomodation would be a fine option from time to time
• with possible bushcraft activities, but not essential
• low-medium budget
• A trail is preferred, but it doesn't matter if it is itinerant (some days in a certain area and the move to another)

I found several info on http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ or http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ but I trust a lot more about the fellows here on the forums.

Any suggestion or advice will be highly appreciated

 

[copper_head]

This is a great website that lists the majority of the UK's long distance trails. http://www.walkingenglishman.com/

The dalesway would be an option perhaps. Beautiful country side and start/end points with good transport links. Might be a little shorter than you'd intended but ends in the Lake District so plenty of walking and activities to enjoy there.

 

[Nomadliam]

The dalesway would be an option perhaps. Beautiful country side and start/end points with good transport links. Might be a little shorter than you'd intended but ends in the Lake District so plenty of walking and activities to enjoy there.

Was going to suggest the lake district myself, plenty of amazing walks up there from forest to mountains and there are plenty of b&b's there too, Groupon usually has good offers on stays that could help with the price as well.

 

[rorymax]

http://www.west-highland-way.co.uk/theroute.asp
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/west-highland-way.shtml

 

[John Fenna]

I have done an awful lot of the Long Distance Paths in the UK.
The best I found for variety and the friendliness of folk along the way was The Hadrians Wall Walk - and you would be seeing what the Romans did for US, firsthand!

Good accommodation along the way from camping through Bunkhouse to posh B&B, good transport hubs at each end - there are even companies that will carry your heavy bags around to your days destination for you!

 

[kaiAnderson]

Coast 2 Coast?

after doing John oGroats to Lands End ill be doing c2c this summer.

 

[andybysea]

There are some good idea's above, unfortunately the only thing you wont get in the UK is a low budget.

 

[Nomad64]

Another vote for the Lake District here although if you are Italian then JF's Hadrian Wall suggestion would give an interesting insight into life in one of the far flung corners of the Roman Empire.

A guy called Tom Lawton published a guide a few years ago called the Lakeland Round which is a 10 day/stage walk around most of the major peaks of the Lake District with each day/stage giving you a "high" and "low" option depending what the weather is doing and how energetic you are feeling. Not a formal, waymarked trail as such but using easily followed footpaths, each day ends in a village so plenty of accommodation options including wild camping which is OK (on a "leave no trace" basis) on the fells above the farm fences/walls.

http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/wheretostay/wildcamping

I walked it 20 years ago and was thinking of doing it again this year.

The book seems to be out of print but still available secondhand (ignore the bad review, the maps in the book are not intended to be an alternative to proper OS Maps!);

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-Lakeland-Round-10-stage-Long-distance/dp/0706372093

Good luck and tell us what you decide and how you get on.

 

[2trapper]

Thanks at all. Your suggestions will be the basis for my planning. Thanks a lot

 

[Imagedude]

Offa's Dyke from south to north may be worth investigating...

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Surprised noones mentioned Dartmoor. You could do the Two Moors way, or any of the other trails in the area. Has advantage of legal wild camping too.

J

 

[Klenchblaize]

It's the "Bushcraft" bit that may prove most challenging so why not consider combining the walk with a 1 or 2 day Bushcraft course?

That said the cynic might argue that given 90% of Bushcraft appears to be lighting fires for a brew and fry-up, go for a route where you can get away with a discreet and safe one.

K

 

[Quixoticgeek]

It's the "Bushcraft" bit that may prove most challenging so why not consider combining the walk with a 1 or 2 day Bushcraft course?

Without wanting to get into a "what is bushcraft?" thread, surely bushcraft is about having the skills and knowledge to be comfortable in the environment. Spending 8-12 days hiking through the back country gives plenty of opportunity to use bushcraft skills, be they navigation, finding water (yes the pub is a valid option), keeping warm, camping properly etc...

That said the cynic might argue that given 90% of Bushcraft appears to be lighting fires for a brew and fry-up, go for a route where you can get away with a discreet and safe one.

K

Yeah, there is a lot more to it than that... You could even say that you get out what you put in. Sure for some heading to the woods, lighting a fire, having a brew, and returning home is enough bushcraft for them. Which is great. Some of us want to forage for our lunch, light the fire with a bow drill, snow shoe through the northern forests. That's also bushcraft.

Bushcraft is many things to many people and each of us can choose what level we want to enjoy it. There is no right or wrong answer.

Get out and enjoy the scenery!

J

 

[Klenchblaize]

Perhaps there should be sub categories for it ranging from "Hard Core Bushcraft" through to "Muggle Camping"? I gained the impression the OP recognised there were going to be limitations governed by the difficulty of gaining on-route permissions for shelter construction, fires, fishing and foraging etc.

K

 

[Uilleachan]

Coast to coast Aberdeen to Fort William. Follow the Dee , there's the choice between the road or the hill up to the linn of dee, from there west there's a choice of routes all of them crossing 30k of very little in the way anything but empty country, the best of them would be on to white bridge across the geldie burn and south and through glen Tilt emerging at Blair Atholl. From there there's a choice routes from road to bare hill through to Rannoch station then across the moor. I'd follow the Line from Rannoch Station up to Corrour station and strike west from there emerging at Glen Nevis and a short walk into the Fort, or you could ford the abhainn rath at luibeilt and pick up the track to the black water dam and come out at Kinlochleven by the sea then take the bus to the Fort, or Glencoe and south. Thats the shorter and softer option.

That route crosses a couple of the most isolated areas in the UK with options varying in difficulty to suit the party for the rest of it, B&B shops etc.

Personally I'd hoof it all the way from the Harbour in Aberdeen to Linn of Dee by road, electing to spend more time in the wild bits of the lonely Atholl hills and Rannoch. If I was feeling really intrepid I'd use my crossing of Atholl to bag two of the remotest munros in the country by bagging An Sgarsoch and Carn na Fhidhleir dropping down to Feith Uaine Bothy (the remote and famous Tarf Hotel) on the Tarf Water, and then over to Glen Tilt to get back on track.

 

[Trig]

Skye Trail? http://www.skyetrail.org.uk/

Can extend it by not finishing in Broadford and continuing on to Kylerhea, ferry to glenelg and then onto Shiel Bridge. The description is on the website, along with some other alternative finishes.

Some brilliant landscape going down the trotternish ridge. Going by photographs anyway.
I could barely see my hand in front of my face with fog and rain when i was there

Edit- Forgot the ferry is summer only, so worth bearing in mind if you consider this

 

[Brynglas]

The Offa's Dyke path covers some fantastic areas and much of it is very quiet. There are some fabulous coastal trails in the UK as well, The Pembrokeshire and South West Coast paths are well worth considering or for real wilderness you could head up towards Cape Wrath.