The National Trails. Paddy Dillon
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(see also the Route Summary table at the beginning of the book for an ‘at-a-glance’ overview). While some trails are short and easy, lending themselves to completion by beginners, others are much longer, or traverse rugged country, and are more likely to appeal to experienced walkers. Many trails have strong themes: they may follow a river or coastline, or they may traverse ranges of hills.
In this guide, simple location maps show the course of each trail, while gradient profiles show all the ups and downs. Suggested daily route breakdowns are offered, but walkers should feel free to adjust and amend these in any way that suits their particular pace and inclination. Some might split a long day’s walk over two days, while others will prefer to keep walking and may cover two days’ distance in one long day’s walk. As our American cousins would say: ‘Hike your own hike!’.
A beginner would do well to underestimate their abilities and plan accordingly. Don’t be tempted to cover huge distances in short time spans, but aim for something more leisurely. If you end up with a couple of hours to spare each day, you can be assured that the British countryside has more than enough charm and interest for you to make good use of the extra time. Ambitious schedules that are tied to pre-booked accommodation can result in disastrous trips. You may either feel the need to press on in deteriorating weather, when holding back would be more sensible, or when energy is flagging and your lodging is still a long way off, there is a temptation to call for a taxi or catch a bus, and so break the continuity of the journey.
Try to anticipate things that might go wrong or cause delays, and have some kind of contingency in mind to offset problems – if your overall plan includes a couple of ‘spare’ hours per day, these can be invaluable. If you think you may need to call on a taxi, or catch a bus at any point, be sure to collect telephone numbers and timetables well in advance, so that you don’t waste time searching at the last minute. A carefully made plan leaves you with much better control of your trip.
Public Transport
In this day and age, when most people travel by car, it is easy just to throw your pack into the boot, drive to the start of a national trail and start walking. The problems are, how do you get back to your car at the end of your journey, and will it be safe left for a couple of weeks in the middle of nowhere? In addition, is it a good idea to leave your car cluttering up someone else’s view of the countryside while you enjoy walking for days and weeks through wonderful scenery? Leaving a car at one end of a trail usually means a nightmare journey to retrieve it from the other end of the trail. In the case of the Pennine Way, for example, there are no direct services from Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders to Edale in Derbyshire, a journey that would take a whole day to complete, even with good connections.
It seems to me that the most practical approach to joining and leaving any national trail is to use public transport, and work out good connections well in advance of travelling. My own preference is to cover the bulk of the outward and return travel using comfortable long-distance trains, such as those provided by Virgin or Cross Country Trains. A good connection with another train, or maybe a local bus service, is usually all that is needed to get me to the start of, or from the end of, each trail. An early morning start might ensure that several hours can be spent walking the trail the same day. At the end of a trail, either spend the last night indoors and devote the following day to travelling home, or finish with a morning walk and leave the afternoon free to travel home. Finishing late, rushing home and suffering poor connections can make what should be a triumphant return into something fraught with frustration and bad temper!
The view upstream from Victoria Bridge near the Inveroran Hotel (Day 5, West Highland Way)
Some national trails have dedicated public transport services, such as the Hadrian’s Wall Bus or Peddars Wayfarer. Other trails, such as the Cleveland Way, run through an area with walker-friendly bus services, such as the Moorsbus. A network of interlinked bus services covers most parts of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Walkers on the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness can easily catch buses running parallel. Of course, not all trails are so well supported, and some services may be seasonal at best, but walkers who take the trouble to pick up timetables in advance will always be able to include public transport options in their plans, rather than having to chase details later.
Call on the services of Traveline to discover if there are any useful public transport services going your way – either telephone 0871 2002233, or check the website www.traveline.info.
Daily Routine
Walking a national trail means adopting an entirely different routine to that of usual daily life. First thing in the morning you rise from your sleeping bag or hostel bunk, or awake in an unfamiliar hotel or guesthouse room. If self-catering, breakfast is whatever you make of it, otherwise whatever your accommodation provider can offer (any special dietary requirements should be made known well in advance). Wise walkers will already be aware of the day’s weather forecast and will arrange their clothing to suit prevailing conditions.
Generally, most people will aim to start early on the trail, and this is easily arranged if you are camping or hostelling. However, negotiating early breakfasts with hotels and guesthouses requires tact, and consideration for the needs of your host – some will oblige and others will most definitely not!
Walking long distance in high summer means that you can make good use of extended hours of daylight. In the winter months, on the other hand, fewer daylight hours means shorter walks, or you risk continuing in darkness. The important thing to do, day after day, is pace yourself comfortably. Dawdling and dragging your feet will mean finishing late in the day, while rushing like a maniac along the trail could easily result in pain, fatigue and injury. Neither the hare nor the tortoise was right – the best approach lies in between.
Looking to Froward Point from Combe Point on the way to Dartmouth (Day 35, South West Coast Path)
Looking along the coast path as it heads from Port Quin towards Pentire Point (Day 12, South West Coast Path)
Take an interest in your surroundings, especially if it is unlikely you will ever pass that way again. Enjoy the scenery and photograph it if you want a lasting memory. Visit museums and country churches and take note of the vernacular architecture. Support little country shops and pubs wherever possible, and passing the time of day with local people can give access to founts of local knowledge. Mark the changing seasons and the effect this has on trees, flowers and wildlife. Have a chat with other walkers on the trail, especially those coming the other way, since they may have important information about conditions and facilities ahead. If you find a kindred spirit heading in the same direction as yourself, you may even find a friend for life. The daily routine on the trail should not be one of predictable drudgery, but should allow you to keep moving without undue stress or fatigue, leaving you free to savour the sheer joy of being alive and among some of the country’s most scenic and interesting landscapes.
Towards the end of each day, honour any advance bookings made with accommodation providers, and most importantly, phone and tell them if anything has upset your plans, making you late or unable to show. Some people worry and may call out the emergency services if they don’t hear from you. If you need collecting from the trail, or transporting to and from a pub or restaurant in the evening, be sure to make arrangements in advance, rather than springing this on your host at the last minute.
If the day has been hot and sweaty, you should rinse out clothes and hang them to dry, or if the day has been wet and miserable, be sure to get your clothes dried at the first opportunity, since that will make all the difference to morale in the morning. Those who prefer to camp in the wilds should be scrupulous about being as low key as possible, leaving no trace of their pitches. Also, be sure to pop your head out of the tent on clear nights, as the view of the stars above is often truly remarkable and stirs the soul (of all who walk the national trails, surely those who camp