The UK’s top walking trails have been revealed (Image: Getty)
The UK is full of beautiful walks and challenging hikes, with one trail coming out as the country’s top.
UK trail activity grew by 68% this year, marking a surge of outdoor activity and exploration, despite it being the coolest summer since 2015, and walkers have been enjoying relaxing strolls, calming coastal walks, and much more difficult hikes.
Gareth Mills, AllTrails UK Country Manager, says: “The UK offers an incredible variety of outdoor experiences, from challenging mountain tracks to serene village walks, with diverse landscapes providing something for anyone interested in getting outdoors.
“Our community is also exploring trails in new ways, with searches for trail traffic and elevation both surging in 2024.”
And with this in mind, have revealed the top trails of 2024, with the Ben Nevis Mountain Track coming out on the top, despite its difficult nature.
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While Ben Nevis can prove a difficult hike, it’s certainly also a popular one (Image: Getty)
As the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis is one of the most popular spots in Scotland, with over 150,000 people visiting each year and 130,000 of whom believed to climb all the way to the summit.
According to AllTrails the best time of the year to undertake this hike is April through September, while snow and ice can make it much more difficult during the winter months.
Those who have enjoyed the hike have left numerous five-star reviews on AllTrails, with one writing: “Amazing but exhausting! The way down is much harder than the way up, especially as the rocks can be quite slippery when wet.”
While another added: “Really great walk, harder coming down. Had poor visibility on the way up but got a lovely cloud inversion at the top. Absolutely stunning. Weather was decent, too; just need to wrap up at the summit.”
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Ben Nevis boasts over 150,000 visitors annually (Image: Getty)
And a third penned: “Fantastic day hike. Went in the snow which definitely adds quite a bit of effort to the last ~2 miles of climb when present. Trekking poles highly recommended if there is snow, otherwise it’s a pretty straightforward climb Views from the top were beautiful on a clear day.”
Coming in second on the list of the UK’s top hikes was Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) via Llanberis Path in Wales, another particularly hard hike, and third place was the Old Man of Storr Loop in Scotland.
AllTrails have also revealed the most family-friendly trails for this looking for walks that are suitable for those with children, with the top spot going to Scotland’s Fairy Pools, while second place went to the also Scottish Fairy Glen and Castle Ewen.
Meanwhile, the top urban and village walk went to London’s Hampstead Heath Circular. York City Walls Circular and Manchester’s Roe Green Loop Line and Bridgewater Canal Circular also proved popular among those who don’t live in the countryside.
Scotland’s Fairy Pools has been named the top family favourite walking trail in the UK (Image: Getty)
The UK’s top walking trails of 2024
Most popular hikes
- Ben Nevis Mountain Track, Scotland
- Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) via Llanberis Path, Wales
- The Old Man of Storr Circular, Scotland
- Malham Landscape Trail: Janet’s Foss, Gordale Scar, and Malham Cove, England
- Scafell Pike from Wasdale Campsite, England
- Kinder Scout and Kinder Downfall Circular, England
- The Roaches and Lud’s Church Circular, England
- Rydal Water and Cave Circular, England
- Arthur’s Seat, Scotland
- Fairy Pools, Scotland
Best urban and village walks
- Hampstead Heath Circular, London
- York City Walls Circular, York
- Roe Green Loop Line and Bridgewater Canal Circular, Manchester
- Historical Bath City Walking Tour, Bath
- Cambridge City Circular, Cambridge
- Glencoe – Glencoe Lochan Circular, Ballachulish
- Oxford Tour Circular, Oxford
- Water of Leith Walkway, Edinburgh
- Ness Walk Circular, Inverness
- Hay-on-Wye and River Wye Circular, Hereford
Family favourite walks
- Fairy Pools, Scotland
- Fairy Glen and Castle Ewen, Scotland
- Buttermere Circular, England
- Conic Hill, Scotland
- Orrest Head Circular, England
- Bamford Edge Ladybower Circular, England
- Styal and Airport Circular, England
- Grasmere Lake Circular, England
- Tom a’ Ghrianain (Signal Rock), An Torr, and Hagrid’s Hut Circular, Scotland
- Dovestone Reservoir Circular, England