List of long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom

There are hundreds of long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom designated in publications from public authorities, guidebooks and OS maps. They are mainly used for hiking and walking, but some may also be used, in whole or in part, for mountain biking and horse riding. Most are in rural landscapes, in varying terrain, some passing through National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There is no formal definition of a long-distance path, though the British Long Distance Walkers Association defines one as a route "20 miles [32 km] or more in length and mainly off-road." They usually follow existing rights of way, often over private land, joined together and sometimes waymarked to make a named route. Generally, the surface is not specially prepared, with rough ground, uneven surfaces and stiles, which can cause accessibility issues for people with disabilities. Exceptions to this can be converted railways, canal towpaths and some popular fell walking routes where stone-pitching and slabs have been laid to prevent erosion. Many long-distance footpaths are arranged around a particular theme such as one specific range of hills or a historical or geographical connection.

England and Wales: National Trails

National Trails are a network of long-distance paths in England and Wales (plus a small stretch of the Pennine Way in Scotland) funded by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales and maintained by local authorities under a Trail Partnership. As of January 2023, there are over 2,500 miles (4,000 km) of trails on seventeen routes. The longest trail, the England Coast Path, is not complete though more sections are planned to open over the coming months and years, with a planned completion date of around 2024. The newest trail is the Coast to Coast Walk which will officially open in 2025. There are 83 million visits to the National Trails each year and over 80,000 people complete a trail.

^* Officially opens in 2025
^† When complete in around 2024
^‡ Treated as one path by National Trails

Scotland: Great Trails

Scotland's Great Trails are long-distance "people-powered" trails (predominantly hiking trails but including cycling, horse-riding and canoe routes) in Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage maintains the official list of Scotland's Great Trails and is the custodian of the brand, but responsibility for creating and maintaining each route lies with each local authority through which a route passes, although Scottish Natural Heritage provides some of the finance and publicity. There are 29 routes, offering 1,900 miles (3,000 km) of trails in total.

Each of the routes is clearly waymarked with a dedicated symbol, and run largely off-road. They range in length from 24 to 214 miles (40 to 340 km), and are intended to be tackled over several days, either as a combination of day trips or as an end-to-end expedition. They are primarily intended for walkers, but may have sections suitable for cyclists and horse-riders. One of the trails, the Great Glen Canoe Trail, is designed for canoeists and kayakers.

Other UK long-distance paths

Those included here meet the definition of a long-distance path as being around 50 km (31 miles) or more, particularly that they will take more than one day's walking to complete. Some shorter paths linking between major walks (e.g. Maelor Way) are also included.

Southern England

Midlands and East Anglia

Northern England

Wales

Scotland

• Cape Wrath Trail, runs around 300 km (186 mi) from Fort William to Cape Wrath; as the route is unwaymarked, different guides to it suggest slightly different routes.
• Central Scottish Way, 251 km (156 mi) from Milngavie to Byrness (just over the border in Northumberland, England)
• Coast to Coast, 205 km (128 mi), Oban to St Andrews 128 miles, ISBN 978-0-9526900-8-5
• Edinburgh the walk, follows paths, green spaces, roads and cycleways through Edinburgh for 69km starting at Edinburgh Castle and finishing at Holyrood Palace.
• John o' Groats Trail, 231 km (145 mi) from Inverness to John o' Groats
• Sir Walter Scott Way from Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway to Cockburnspath, Scottish Borders
• The East Highland Way, runs from Fort William to Aviemore

Northern Ireland

• Ulster Way, runs for 1023 km (636 mi), mainly in Northern Ireland, with some sections in the Republic of Ireland

The Macmillan Ways

The Macmillan Ways are a set of paths that promotes and raises money for the Macmillan Cancer Relief charity.

European walking routes

Several European walking routes pass through the United Kingdom. They all use sections of UK long-distance paths.

• E2 from Stranraer to Dover, with an alternative route to Harwich
• E8 from Liverpool to Hull
• E9 from Plymouth to Dover
• The North Sea Trail covers seven countries with North Sea coastlines.

See also

References

External links

• Map of UK Long Distance Walks
• Ramblers' Association: Paths and routes
• Scotland's Great Trails
• The Long Distance Walkers Association: Long distance paths database