5 car-free walks in national parks
1 Braeriach, Cairngorms
Distance: 20km / 12.5 miles Duration: 8+ hours
Ascent: 957m / 3140ft Jump on bus 31 (stagecoachbus.com) from Aviemore station to reach Cairngorm Ski Centre, which is the hopping-off point for endless exploratory excursions on the Cairngorms Plateau. For a full day in the hills, get the first bus of the morning and climb Braeriach – not just Scotland’s third-highest mountain but also one of the finest viewpoints in the Cairngorms National Park.
2 The Arrochar Munros, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
Distance: 18km / 11 miles Duration: 10 hours Ascent: 1545m / 5068ft Only an hour and a half from Glasgow by train, the Arrochar Alps are nevertheless a surprising haven of solitude. Start at Arrochar & Tarbet station to summit the Munros of Beinn Narnain, Beinn Ime and Ben Vorlich with a cheeky wild camp en route.
3 Traverse of the Rhinogs, Snowdonia
Distance: 25.5km / 16 miles Duration: 10 hours
Ascent: 835m / 2740ft One of the benefits of using public transport is that it makes linear routes much easier to tackle. The Rhinogs are amongst the leastvisited hills in Snowdonia: a two-day traverse of the Rhinog ridge with an overnight camp to break up the journey feels truly wild. Start at Talsarnau station and end at Barmouth, which has good rail connections to Birmingham and other major cities.
4 High Street, Lake District
Distance: 16km / 10 miles Duration: 7 hours
Ascent: 684m / 2245ft The Kirkstone Rambler (bus 508) offers a direct route from the train station at Windermere to Patterdale and Penrith. Use it to take on a traverse of the Ill Bell Ridge and High Street, starting at Troutbeck and ending at Patterdale.
5 Eastbourne to Seaford, South Downs
Distance: 22km / 13.7 miles Duration: 6 hours
Ascent: 544m / 1785ft For a quick ‘hill’ fix an hour or so’s train ride from London, walk the coastline between Eastbourne and Seaford stations. Highlights along the route include the iconic Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, Cuckmere Haven and Beachy Head Lighthouse.