HOLIDAYS IN THE HILLS

Six gorgeous, crowd-free uplands to explore

1 NORTH PENNINES

On Terry’s doorstep, the North Pennines is often referred to as England’s ‘last wilderness’. Rolling expanses of lonely moorland provide a habitat for rare wildlife, including hen harriers and black grouse, while the area’s geology has given rise to spectacular features, such as High Force waterfall (pictured). Mining, particularly for lead, helped the communities of Alston and Allendale to thrive; these towns are still handy bases for exploring the area today.

2 EXMOOR

While crowds flock to Dartmoor, many people forget South West England has another national park. Reaching a high point of 519m on Dunkery Beacon (pictured), Exmoor is home to rolling, heather-clad moorland, steep-sided wooded valleys and a 40km stretch of crazily undulating cliffs. Coastal settlements include Lynton, Porlock and, just outside the park boundaries, Minehead. Further inland, the villages of Winsford and Withypool contain reminders of the area’s prehistoric past.

3 SHROPSHIRE HILLS

Located close to England’s border with Wales, the Shropshire Hills AONB contains dozens of relatively low-lying tops divided by a patchwork of fields and woods. Highlights include the Stiperstones’ quartzite tors, the limestone escarpment of Wenlock Edge and the windswept moorland ridge Long Mynd (pictured). The largest town in the AONB is Church Stretton, with Ludlow just outside its boundaries.

4 GALLOWAY HILLS, EAST AYRSHIRE

The Highlands isn’t the only place in Scotland where you’ll find rough and remote hills. The Galloway range (pictured), rising to 843m at its highest summit, lies in the south-west of the country, far from any major towns. Intrepid walkers accessing these uplands from Newton Stewart or Dalmellington will discover, above the dense forests, a rugged landscape dotted with lochans and vast tracts of blanket bog.

5 PRESELI HILLS, PEMBROKESHIRE

What they lack in altitude, the Preseli Hills more than make up for in atmosphere. Prehistoric people made their mark on these Pembrokeshire moors and heathland, leaving behind burial cairns (pictured), hillforts and a ridge-top track thought to be 5,000 years old. The coastal towns of Fishguard and Newport aren’t far away, while several small villages, including Pontfaen, lie at the foot of the range.

6 CAIRNGORMS

It’s here that you’ll encounter some of Britain’s most extreme weather. It’s not unusual for winds in excess of 100mph to rip across the tundra of the Cairngorm Plateau, or for snow patches to persist all year on Ben Macdui (pictured). The hills are accessed from Aviemore in the west or from Braemar and Ballater in the east.