29 great winter walks in the UK
Winter is the perfect time to explore the UK countryside. Whether you’re looking to blow out those Christmas cobwebs or work up an appetite before a hearty Sunday roast, there’s nothing better than heading outdoors for some crisp, winter air. For anyone looking to make the most of this season, we’ve found 29 great winter walks across the UK. So what are you waiting for? Wrap up warm and get out there.
The best winter walks in Scotland
South Loch Ness Trail, Trobeck to Dores
Location: The Highlands
Start to finish: Seven miles
Best for: Exploring myths and legends.
Nessie, the infamous monster, has made Loch Ness one of the most known locations in the UK. The stunning loch is surrounded by several breathtaking walks. This particular section of the Loch Ness trail moves through the Scottish woodland and up above the loch, providing you with panoramic views of Scotland’s mythical loch.
Lost Valley
Location: Glen Coe
Start to finish: Two and a half miles
Best for: Walking through history.
The Lost Valley is one of Scotland’s most striking attractions. A high, narrow canyon with 230-metre hills towering on either side; it’s said that the Lost Valley is where clan Macdonald hid the valuable cattle they had stolen from their neighbours. Today, while free from rustled livestock, it still exudes a mysterious vibe, making one feel as if they’re wandering through a Celtic legend.
Plockton Crags
Location: Plockton
Start to finish: Five and a half miles
Best for: A warm winter’s breeze.
Plockton is one of Scotland’s most picturesque villages. Nestled on the country’s western coast, it enjoys a beachside location without the cold sea breeze. This is great news for winter walkers. As you wander past the village’s whitewashed cottages, you’ll be treated to a refreshing winter air that isn’t too cold to handle.
Ben Lomond
Location: The Highlands
Start to finish: Seven and a half miles
Best for: One of the best views in Britain.
With the shimmering waters of Loch Lomond below you, the rolling hills of the Highlands to the North, and the wooded glens of Trossachs to the East, it’s no wonder that the view from the top of Ben Lomond is considered one of the most beautiful in Britain. Best of all, during the winter months, the horizon is a haze of blue, purple and silver, making the sight almost unbeatable.
The best winter walks in Wales
Cribyn Walk
Location: Brecon Beacons
Start to finish: 11.5 miles
Best for: An eerie kind of magic.
A moderately challenging but overwhelmingly rewarding walk, this route takes you up what is arguably Wales’ most underrated mountain. Surrounded by a breathtaking view of the Welsh countryside, this route is a safer alternative to Snowdonia during the colder months.
SugarLoaf Mountain
Location: Monmouthshire
Start to finish: Four miles
Best for: Plenty of cosy pubs nearby.
As well as having the best name of any Wales mountain, SugarLoaf has a gentle, easily manageable incline, making it perfect for a leisurely day’s stroll. Once you’re done, why not explore the cosy pubs of Abergavenny, a market town a short way from the mountain.
Cwm Idwal Walk
Location: Bangor
Start to finish: Three miles
Best for: Fascinating rock formations.
Set in the oldest National Nature Reserve in Wales, this circular route takes you through the beautiful Cwm Idwal. Hollowed out by ice, this striking rock formation is surrounded by a sea rugged crags and the crystalline waters of Llyn Idwal – the lake which fills the base.
Pen y Fan and Corn Du Circular Walk
Location: Brecon Beacons
Start to finish: Four miles
Best for: Getting your blood pumping.
A little more challenging than our other Welsh walks, at 2,906 feet tall, this route takes you to the highest peak in Southern Britain. The perfect way to blow out those winter cobwebs, you’ll trek up to the summit of Pen y Fan, enjoying stunning views and a Bronze Age burial chamber along the way.
The best winter walks in Northern Ireland
Stormont Woodland Walks
Location: Belfast
Start to finish: Two and a half miles
Best for: Strolling through a tourist hot spot.
The Stormont Estate, home of Northern Ireland’s Parliament Buildings, is a spot on every tourist’s to-do list, and this circular stroll is the perfect way to see it. As well as taking in one of the country’s most important and iconic buildings, you’ll venture through the area’s prim and perfect woodland. If it’s not too cold, we suggest stopping for a picnic along the way.
Divis and the Black Mountain
Location: County Antrim
Start to finish: Three miles
Best for: Standing above a city.
A challenging route, but particularly rewarding during winter, this Summit Trail takes you along the Tipperary Road, through a patch of gorgeous open heath and on to the highest peak of the Belfast Hills. You’ll finish your trek standing high above the city of Belfast, looking down on hundreds of thousands of twinkling city lights and the majestic Mourne Mountains out in the distance.
Benone Strand
Location: County Derry
Start to finish: Seven miles
Best for: Utterly Irish magic.
During the winter months, the beaches of Northern Ireland are sublime. That Celtic magic that they have all year round takes on an extra special shine, as a silver mists roll across the water. This seven-mile stroll takes you along one of the country’s most beautiful Blue Flag beaches. On clear days, when you gaze across the ocean, you’ll be able to see Scotland.
Cave Hill Country Park
Location: Belfast
Start to finish: Four and a half miles
Best for: Conquering untamed landscape.
Think of the Irish countryside, and many people see a wild, untamed landscape, full of rugged cliffs and Celtic magic. This challenging route across Cave Hill Country Park gives you just that. Conquer unsurfaced paths and ancient caves, as you cross moorland, heath and meadow to reach McArt’s Fort.
The best winter walks in South East England
Bodiam Castle
Location: East Sussex
Start to finish: Five miles
Best for: Ancient architecture.
Whether you know Bodiam Castle as one of the most important military structures of the Hundred Years’ War or as Swamp Castle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this ancient building is a sight to behold. This circular route takes you through the national trust attraction, and in a leisurely loop of the beautiful East Sussex countryside.
Chasm Explorer
Location: Brighton
Start to finish: Three miles
Best for: An essential tourist spot.
This national trust walking route is our favourite way to explore the famous, chalk valley, Devil’s Dyke. Delve inside the deep, dry valley and discover the place where the Devil and his wife are said to be buried. Towards the end of the route, you’ll enter an ancient farmstead, home to over a millennium of agricultural history and incredible views out across the South East hills.
Seven Sisters and Birling Gap
Location: South Downs
Start to finish: Five and a half miles
Best for: A coast-side stroll.
Three things make walking in winter so special – the fresh air, the spectacular sights and the thought of curling up in a cosy pub when you’re done. This South Downs coast-side walk takes you from the Birling Gap to Belle Tout Lighthouse, finishing up at the welcoming Tiger Inn. A little tip, if the weather is blustery, walk this circular route anti-clockwise, and you’ll have the winds against your back, helping you up the hills.
Brook to Freshwater Bay
Location: Isle of Wight
Start to finish: Three miles
Best for: Incredible holiday snaps.
Welcome to maybe the most photographed part of the Isle of Wight. Starting from the car park above Brook Bay, this three-mile stretch leads you across one of the Island’s best beaches, best fossil hunting spots and along the sandstone cliffs that appear on the front of countless picture postcards.
The best winter walks in South West England
Trenchford and Tottiford Reservoirs
Location: Dartmoor National Park
Start to finish: Three miles
Best for: A sprinkle of wintery magic.
Dartmoor in winter is truly magical. The thick wilderness and fresh forest air make it feel like you’ve stepped through the wardrobe and into Narnia itself. While breathtaking views are not hard to find anywhere in the National Park, this figure-eight walk serves up some of the very best, with stunning waterside shots that rival those in the Lake District.
Wheal Coates Route
Location: Cornwall
Start to finish: Three miles
Best for: Fascinating rock formations.
Situated on the South West coast path, this gentle, three-mile walk takes you through not one, not two, but a whole range of delightful settings, including towns, meadows and the stunning Cornwall shore. You can check out fascinating rock formations, explore multi-coloured caves and delve into well-stocked rock pools.
Wilverley Inclosure
Location: The New Forest
Start to finish: Two and a half miles
Best for: Spotting winter wildlife
Starting from Wilverley Plain car park, this circular walk also passes through vast expanses of open land, perfect for playing games or stopping for a Winter-themed picnic (if you’re brave enough to take on the cold that is). Also, look out for an array of winter wildlife along the way, including new forest ponies and beautiful, but increasingly rare, red deer.
Bedruthan Steps Circular Walk
Location: Porthcothan, Cornwall
Start to finish: Two and a half miles
Best for: Following the steps of a giant
According to ancient legend, the mighty stones dotted across this north Cornwall beach were stepping stones used by the Giant Bedruthan. This moderately challenging route takes you along the cliff-tops, past the remains of an Iron Age fort, and on to the National Trust tearoom, where you can warm up with a bite to eat.
The best winter walks in Northern England
Ravenscar Loop
Location: North Yorkshire
Start to finish: One and a half miles
Best for: A relaxed wander.
Mostly flat, and just a mile and a half long, this gentle stroll is perfect for anyone craving a laid back evening wander, with a few breathtaking sights thrown in for good measure. This relaxed figure-of-eight walking route takes you through ‘the resort that never was’. A 1985 holiday park left abandoned after developers went bankrupt after building one hotel.
Holy Island Circuit
Location: Northumberland
Start to finish: Six miles
Best for: Winter wildlife.
A wander down Northumberland’s wild and craggy coast, this six-mile walk is perfect for boxing day, as a way of shaking yourself out of the Christmas coma. While enjoying the refreshing sea air, keep an eye out for an array of winter wildlife, including grey seals, migrating birds, porpoises and dolphins.
Loweswater Circular Walk
Location: The Lake District
Start to finish: Three and a half miles
Best for: A romantic stroll.
A peaceful and secluded stroll along a tree-lined shore, do we really need to say more? This simple, circular route tours one of the Lake District’s smallest, but most picture-perfect lakes. As well as being safer than many of the mountain routes during the colder months, Loweswater still lets you see the silvery sparkle that winter brings to the Lake District.
Hadrian’s Wall Path
Location: Brampton
Start to finish: 84 miles
Best for: Striding the length of England.
Set across 84 miles of stunning Northern terrain, Hadrian’s Wall is one of the best-known remnants of the Roman Empire. While more than a day’s trek, this remarkable route is heaving with history and treats you to a vast array of cosy pubs, bustling market towns and abandoned Roman forts along the way.
The best winter walks in Mid and East England
Hartington Walking Route
Location: Peak District
Start to finish: Seven and a half miles
Best for: Stocking up on cheese along the way.
Setting off from Derbyshire, a quaint slice of rural England that boasts one of the best cheese shops in the country, this relatively long but relaxed route takes you across the beautiful meadows and picturesque villages of the Peak District.
Holkham Nature Reserve
Location: Norfolk
Start to finish: 16 miles
Best for: Bird watching.
Throughout 16 miles, this walk will lead you from the beach to the bay, through the pretty harbour and on to an expanse of salt marsh, filled with beautiful birdlife and wintering wildfowl. The variety of natural habitats housed on the reserve make it the perfect place to scour the skies for rare creatures.
Harford Bridge
Location: Cotswolds
Start to finish: Three miles
Best for: A casual countryside stroll.
Over three relatively flat miles, this circular route leads you through a range of stunning scenery. You’ll explore the deserted medieval village of Lower Hartford, the area surrounding Nauton Village, and a small section of the Windrush Way, the wood-lined trail linking the the Cotswolds to the Oxfordshire Way.
Blakeney Freshes
Location: Norfolk
Start to finish: Three miles
Best for: A classic winter walk.
This short wander down the North Norfolk coastal path is everything a great winter walk should be. Fresh air, dramatic scenery and the crisp crunch of frozen ground underfoot. Best of all, if you start your stroll early enough, the skies above you will be awash with migrating birds, taking off from the nearby marshes.
Bonus best winter walk
Loch Morlich
Location: The Highlands
Start to finish: One and a half miles
Best for: Stepping inside a Christmas poem.
And finally, we couldn’t finish our list of great winter walks quite so soon. Not without mentioning this beautiful bonus walk. No-where else in the UK comes quite as close to looking like a Christmas postcard as Loch Morlich in the Scottish Highlands. Snow covers its surrounding summits for more than 100 days of the year and the silvery glint of winter sunlight that dances across its waters brings one word to mind – magic.
