Hiking in the UK might not offer the highest mountains or the deepest valleys. And it might not boast the wildest animals nor the most exotic flora either. But if you’re looking to take on the best hikes in the UK, this lack of extremes can be a really good thing.
What we are blessed with in the UK is an almost endless supply of accessible countryside which is ideal for walking through. If you see a mountain there is a high chance it has a hiking route to the top and a low chance you will meet a bear who wants to eat you on the way.
I’ve been lucky enough to do more than my fair share of hiking across these pleasant lands. Below I will run down three of my favourites which you can find on my blog HikerHero.
One is a gentle amble, one a dramatic mountain scramble and one a multi-day jaunt involving pubs galore. Let’s hike!
3 of the best hikes in the UK
The Long and Mynding Road, Shropshire
The Long Mynd, Shropshire
Stats: 8-mile circular walk
Difficulty: Easy
Highlights: Reservoir, pretty waterfall, rolling hills and wild ponies
I had to start with a good Shropshire hike as this is in my neck of the woods and I feel duty-bound to big up the criminally overlooked Shropshire Hills at any given opportunity.
The Long Mynd, which translates from olden day talk into Long Mountain, is not exactly a mountain, but more of a hill. But it is long. It’s a large heath-strewn plateau populated by hardy sheep and herds of roaming wild ponies. Also quite hardy.
The plateau is crisscrossed with trails galore but I highly recommend a circular hike starting and ending at the sublime Carding Mill Valley: an area of outstanding natural beauty (as it says on the sign) managed by the good folk at the National Trust.
This route takes you steadily upward as the walls of the Carding Mill Valley gradually close in on you until you reach the picturesque Lightspout Waterfall at the top.
At this point, most hikers turn around and head back to base. But you and I aren’t normal hikers, are we? We’re seeking to complete the best hikes in the UK and taking short cuts just isn’t for us.
Climbing up past the waterfall will bring you up onto the Long Mynd plateau itself which feels like a different world entirely from the valley below. Chances are you will have the place to yourself.
The rest of the hike is a gentle amble through rough countryside. As a bonus, the hike includes a great wild swimming spot close to the end of the loop in the form of the clean cool waters of the Carding Mill Reservoir. It’s a refreshing way to finish off a great hike.
The Cantivler Stone in the fog. Summit of Gylder Fach
Glyder Fawr & Glyder Fach, Snowdonia
Stats: 5.4-mile circular walk with 770 metres of climbing
Difficulty: Strenuous, plus requires a good head for heights
Highlights: Lakes, views, scrambling, bizarre rock formations
Snowdonia National Park (Eryri) offers way more than just the famous Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). My advice: escape the crowds trudging up the tallest mountain in Wales, queueing diligently to bag the summit, and instead head off the beaten track. Take on the fifth and sixth highest mountains instead: the mighty Glyder Fawr (1001m) and its almost equally mighty neighbour Glyder Fach (994m).
This hike is a tough circular climb requiring a good head for heights, but it’s nothing anyone with a good level of fitness should struggle too much with. That said, it should be taken seriously.
Firstly the weather in Snowdonia can be fairly brutal, even in the summer. The last time I took on Glyder Fawr I got toasted like a marshmallow in the sun at the foot of the mountain but could barely see (or feel) my hands at the summit due to thick fog.
Secondly, it involves a good amount of scrambling. Which for those of you new to the world of hiking, means getting your hands involved to “scramble” up rocks. It’s not quite climbing but it’s also not far away.
The scramble up the superbly named Devil’s Kitchen section is worth it for the sublime views of lakes below alone. But there’s more to come. Once you reach the summit, the views of the Snowdon Massif, the remaining Gylder Range, and nearby Tryfan, are unsurpassable.
What’s more, exposure to the elements has transformed the summits of Glyder Fawr and Fach into a sculpture garden of sorts. Firstly there are the dramatic stone spires of the Castell y Gwynt. The Castle of the Wind. And then there’s the gravity-defying ‘Cantilever Stone’. A favourite photo spot for hikers for over 100 hundred years. Way before Instagram came along!
Yep, leave Mount Snowdon for the tourists and take on Glyder Fawr and Fach to enjoy what is truly one of the very best hikes in the UK.
A typical Peak District view in the Derbyshire Dales
The Limestone Way
Stats: 46-mile multi-day trek
Difficulty: The hiking is easy but long and requires some logistics
Highlights: Dales, peaks, sheepdogs, quaint pubs & even quainter villages
Say hello to the Peak District – the oldest National Park in the UK. This highly enjoyable three or four-day hike from Rocester in the south to Castleton in the heart of the stunning Derbyshire Dales is an absolute dream.
Think horses looking over stone walls, Collie dogs rounding up sheep in fields and men with flat caps nodding at you as you walk past, and you will have the right idea.
It’s rolling hills and dales the entire way. And it’s tiring for sure but at no point is it remotely hard work, which, from experience is, exactly what you need from a multiday hike.
You want to feel like you’ve done some exercise to justify that lunchtime pint and evening pub feast but you don’t want it to be a grinding test of human fortitude. It’s meant to be fun after all.
I’ve done a fair few multi-day hikes and so far the Limestone Way is my favourite. Sure, the scenery is stunning. But I think it is the endless supply of quaint villages and inviting pubs that really seals the deal for me.
Final Thoughts: Britain is Still Great At Some Things
That’s it friends, three of my favourite UK hikes. I hope at least one piqued your interest and has you reaching for your hiking boots.
I included a nice mix, to show you what’s out there which, to be honest, was very easy as the UK has an amazing variety of hikes on offer. For a relatively small country, we really do punch far above our weight when it comes to hiking. Go us!
My advice, if all the negative news is getting you down, go for a hike. Everything truly does feel better when the wind is in your hair and your feet are crunching leaves on the trail.
Go easy now!
