There are hundreds of

long-distance footpath A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway (landscape), greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking (wilderness), backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-cou ...

s in the United Kingdom designated in publications from public authorities,

guidebook A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place designed for the use of visitors or tourists". It will usually include information about sights, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, and activities. Maps of varying det ...

s and OS maps. They are mainly used for

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

and

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...

, but some may also be used, in whole or in part, for

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

and

horse riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

. Most are in rural landscapes, in varying terrain, some passing through

National Parks A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...

and

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of thei ...

. There is no formal definition of a long-distance path, though the British

Long Distance Walkers Association The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) is a British not for profit, volunteer-led association whose aim is "to further the common interests of those who enjoy long distance walking". The LDWA is an association of people with the common inte ...

defines one as a route "20 miles 2 kmor more in length and mainly off-road." They usually follow existing

rights of way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

, 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

stile A stile is a structure or opening that provides people passage over or through a boundary via steps, ladders, or narrow gaps. Stiles are often built in rural areas along footpaths, fences, walls, or hedges that enclose animals, allowing people ...

s, which can cause accessibility issues for people with disabilities. Exceptions to this can be converted

railways Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

, canal towpaths and some popular fell walking routes where stone-pitching and slabs have been laid to prevent

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...

. 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 National Trails are long distance footpaths and bridleways in England and Wales. They are administered by Natural England, a statutory agency of the UK government, and Natural Resources Wales (successor body to the Countryside Council for Wa ...

are a network of long-distance paths in England and Wales (plus a small stretch of the

Pennine Way The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England, with a small section in Scotland. The trail stretches for from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park and ends at Kir ...

in Scotland) funded by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales and maintained by

local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

under a Trail Partnership. , there are over of trails on sixteen routes. The newest trail, the

England Coast Path The England Coast Path is a proposed long-distance National Trail that will follow the coastline of England. When complete, it will be 2,795 miles (4,500 kilometres) in length. The trail is being implemented by Natural England, a non-departm ...

, is not complete though more sections are planned to open over the coming months, with a planned completion date of 2020. There are 83 million visits to the National Trails each year and over 80,000 people complete a trail. File:Ivinghoe Beacon seen from The Ridgeway.jpg,

Ivinghoe Beacon Ivinghoe Beacon is a prominent hill and landmark in Buckinghamshire, England, 233 m (757 ft) above sea level in the Chiltern Hills, close to Ivinghoe and Aldbury. Dunstable, Berkhamsted and Tring are nearby. The Beacon lies within the ...

(the eastern trailhead) seen looking north from the Ridgeway File:Black Hill (Peak District).jpg, The paved surface of the Pennine Way on Black Hill ^†
^‡

Scotland: Great Trails

Scotland's Great Trails Scotland's Great Trails are long-distance "people-powered" trails in Scotland, analogous to the National Trails of England and Wales or the Grande Randonnée paths of France. The designated routes are primarily intended for walkers, but may have se ...

are long-distance "people-powered" trails (predominantly hiking trails but including cycling, horse-riding and canoe routes) in Scotland.

Scottish Natural Heritage NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and s ...

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 Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

through which a route passes, although Scottish Natural Heritage provides some of the finance and publicity. There are 29 routes, offering 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 , 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

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

ists and

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

ers. File:Fife Coast path at West Wemyss - geograph.org.uk - 1366601.jpg, Fife Coastal Path at West Wemyss File:West Highland Way 2005 Coe.jpg, The Devil's Staircase on the

West Highland Way The West Highland Way ( gd, Slighe na Gàidhealtachd an Iar) is a linear long-distance route in Scotland. It is long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the r ...

File:Cliffs from Berwickshire Coastal path - geograph.org.uk - 323939.jpg, Cliffs from the

Berwickshire Coastal Path The Berwickshire Coastal Path is a walking route some long. It follows the eastern coastline of Scotland from Cockburnspath in the Scottish Borders to Berwick upon Tweed, just over the border in England. At Cockburnspath the path links with ...

File:A St Cuthbert's Way marker post - geograph.org.uk - 1387283.jpg, A

St Cuthbert's Way St Cuthbert's Way is a long-distance trail between the Scottish Borders town of Melrose and Lindisfarne (Holy Island) off the coast of Northumberland, England. The walk is named after Cuthbert, a 7th-century saint, a native of the Borders who ...

marker post at the edge of the square between Grubbit Law and Wideopen Hill

Other UK long-distance paths

Those included here meet the definition of a

long-distance path A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents exc ...

as being around 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

File:The 1066 Country Walk - geograph.org.uk - 1576650.jpg, The 1066 Country Walk near

Battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

File:Monarch's Way - geograph.org.uk - 752202.jpg,

Monarch's Way The Monarch's Way is a long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester. It runs from Worcester via Bristol and Yeovil to Shoreham, West Su ...

looking back at the outskirts of

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...

File:West Deane Way - geograph.org.uk - 1518266.jpg, Meadows on the

West Deane Way The West Deane Way is a trail, footpath in the Taunton Deane area of Somerset, England. It is a circular walk in the Vale of Taunton Deane. See also * Long-distance footpaths in the UK * List of local nature reserves in England References ...

File:All Saints Church, West Camel - geograph.org.uk - 289126.jpg,

Church of All Saints, West Camel The Church of All Saints in West Camel, Somerset, England, dates from the late 14th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building. There had been a previous wooden church on the site since 995 until around 1100 when it was replace ...

, viewed from the Leland Trail

Thames to Mersey

File:Footpath - Derwent Valley Heritage Way - geograph.org.uk - 215806.jpg, The Derwent Valley Heritage Way along Whitewells Road File:Trent Valley Way - geograph.org.uk - 497951.jpg, A view of the former High Marnham power station on the

Trent Valley Way The Trent Valley Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in England following the River Trent and its valley in the counties of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Originally created in 1998, to mark the centenary of the Nottinghamshire Coun ...

File:Cromford Canal - geograph.org.uk - 1522419.jpg, The Derwent Valley Heritage Way next to the

Cromford Canal The Cromford Canal ran from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks. From Cromford it ran ...

File:The Viking Way at Spot Height 62m - geograph.org.uk - 410384.jpg, A field of

rapeseed Rapeseed (''Brassica napus ''subsp.'' napus''), also known as rape, or oilseed rape, is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, which naturally contains a ...

on the

Viking Way The Viking Way is a long distance trail in England running between the Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and Oakham in Rutland. History The route was officially opened on Sunday 5 September 1976 at Tealby, by the Deputy Chairman of Lincol ...

Northern England

File:Middle Intake Farm and Bronte Way footpath - geograph.org.uk - 364521.jpg, Middle Intake Farm alongside the

Brontë Way The Brontë Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in the northern counties of West Yorkshire and Lancashire, England. Route The Brontë Way starts at Oakwell Hall in Birstall, West Yorkshire, and finishes at Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham, Lan ...

File:Bog_on_the_Coast_to_Coast_Walk.jpg, A bog on the

Coast to Coast Walk The Coast to Coast Walk is a long-distance footpath between the west and east coasts of Northern England, nominally long. Devised by Alfred Wainwright, it passes through three contrasting national parks: the Lake District National Park, th ...

next to St Sunday Crag File:Harber Scar Lane - geograph.org.uk - 1606128.jpg, Harber Scar Lane which carries the

Ribble Way The Ribble way is a long-distance walk between the Lancashire coast and the Yorkshire Dales National Park largely following the course of the River Ribble. The route begins in Longton, Lancashire, Longton and ends at the source of the Ribble at ...

northwards out of

Horton-in-Ribblesdale Horton in Ribblesdale is a small village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated in Ribblesdale on the Settle–Carlisle Railway to the west of Pen-y-ghent. Its population in the 2001 census ...

File:Calderdale Way Norland Moor Geograph-3119541-by-Humphrey-Bolton.jpg, The

Calderdale Way The Calderdale Way is a long-distance footpath in West Yorkshire, England. It was devised in the 1970s to draw attention to attractions in the Calderdale district which was being established at that time. The route is circular and walks can ...

at the southern end of Norland Moor

Wales

File:Marloes peninsula, Pembrokeshire coast, Wales, UK.JPG, Pembrokeshire Coast File:Wye Valley Walk - geograph.org.uk - 418324.jpg, Wye Valley Walk File:Valeways Millennium Heritage Trail - geograph.org,uk -1287786.jpg, Valeways Millennium Heritage Trail

Scotland

Cape Wrath Trail Cape Wrath Trail is a hiking route that runs through the Scottish Highlands and along the west coast of Scotland. It is approximately 200 miles (321 km) in length and is considered to be one of the most challenging long distance walks in the ...

, 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. Se
here
* Central Scottish Way, 251 km (156 mi) from

Milngavie Milngavie ( ; gd, Muileann-Ghaidh) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland and a suburb of Glasgow. It is on the Allander Water, at the northwestern edge of Greater Glasgow, and about from Glasgow city centre. It neighbours Bearsden. Mi ...

Byrness Byrness is a village within Rochester, Northumberland, Rochester civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is approximately north-west of Newcastle upon Tyne on the A68 road, A68, and is the last village in England before the A68 climbs the C ...

(just over the border in

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

) * Coast to Coast, 205 km (128 mi), Oban to

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

– includes links to guidebooks 128 miles, * The East Highland Way, runs from Fort William to Aviemore *

John o' Groats Trail {{Use British English, date=December 2017 The John o' Groats Trail is a Scottish long-distance walking route from Inverness to John o' Groats, traversing back lanes, footpaths, shorelines and cliff tops of the Scottish Highlands. The trail gives ac ...

, 231 km (145 mi) from

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

to John o' Groats *

Sir Walter Scott Way The Sir Walter Scott Way is a long-distance footpath in the Scottish Borders. The route broadly follows the waymarked Southern Upland Way, except for in a few sections. It commemorates Sir Walter Scott, one of Scotland's most renowned writers, ...

from

Moffat Moffat ( gd, Mofad) is a burgh and parish in Dumfriesshire, now part of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area in Scotland. It lies on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. It was a centre of the wool trade and a spa town. ...

Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...

Cockburnspath Cockburnspath ( ; sco, Co’path) is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It lies near the North Sea coast between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh. It is at the eastern extremity of the Southern Upland Way a long-distance footpa ...

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...

Northern Ireland

Ulster Way The Ulster Way is a series of walking routes which encircles Northern Ireland. It was founded in the 1970s by Wilfrid Merydith Capper, who was inspired by Tom Stephenson's Pennine Way. The route was relaunched in 2009 by the Department of the ...

, runs for 1023 km (636 mi), mainly in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, with some sections in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

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 The European long-distance paths (alternatively, abbreviated as E-paths) are a network of long-distance footpaths that traverse Europe. While most long-distance footpaths in Europe are located in just one country or region, each of these numbered ...

pass through the United Kingdom. They all use sections of UK long-distance paths. * E2 from

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

, with an alternative route to

Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...

* E8 from

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

to Hull * E9 from

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

to Dover *The

North Sea Trail The North Sea Trail is a transnational long-distance hiking trail along the coast of the North Sea. The route passes through seven countries and 26 partner areas. The aim of the project is to promote sustainable tourism and to keep alive the com ...

covers seven countries with

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

coastlines.

References

External links

The Long Distance Walkers Association: Long distance paths databaseScottish National Coastal RouteScotland's Great TrailsMap of UK Long Distance Walks
{{UK Trails 01

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Footpaths (long distance) Footpaths (long distance)