National Parks & Landscapes
Great Britain has 15 National Parks and 46 AONBs (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The most important ones:
- Lake District (England) — England's most beautiful national park: 16 lakes, dramatic fells, Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. UNESCO World Heritage
- Scottish Highlands — The most remote landscape in Europe: Munros, moors, lochs. Home to red deer, golden eagles, and (perhaps) Nessie
- Snowdonia/Eryri (Wales) — Wales' highest mountains (Snowdon, 1,085 m), former slate quarries, dramatic waterfalls
- Cairngorms (Scotland) — Britain's largest national park: subarctic plateaus, ancient Caledonian Pine Forests, reindeer(!)
- Peak District (England) — The "backbone of England" between Manchester and Sheffield: moorland, gritstone cliffs, caves
- Yorkshire Dales (England) — Limestone landscape with dry stone walls, waterfalls, and the most charming villages in Northern England
- Dartmoor (England) — Mysterious moorland: wild ponies, neolithic stone circles, mist. Inspiration for Conan Doyle's "Hound of the Baskervilles"
Coastal Paths
Great Britain's coastline is over 31,000 kilometers long — and a large part of it is accessible via long-distance hiking trails:
- South West Coast Path (1,014 km, Devon & Cornwall) — England's longest hiking trail
- Pembrokeshire Coast Path (300 km, Wales) — Dramatic cliffs and hidden beaches
- West Highland Way (154 km, Scotland) — From Glasgow through the Highlands to Fort William
Hedgerows — England's Green Hedges
England's hedgerow landscapes are an ancient cultural heritage — many hedgerows are over 800 years old and form a network of wildlife corridors. In spring, blackthorn, hawthorn, and wild roses bloom; in autumn, they bear berries and nuts. These hedgerows shape the typical image of the English countryside, which you can see most beautifully in the Cotswolds and Sussex.
