■ Distance: 5½ miles/8.8km ■ Time: 3 hours ■ Grade: Moderate

I’m sceptical about news stories you sometimes read of big black cats roaming the countryside. I was, however, tempted to don my boots for a hike I found on the internet titled In the Footsteps of the

■ Distance: 7½ miles/12km ■ Time: 5 hours ■ Grade: Moderate

■ Distance: 6 miles/9.6km ■ Time: 3½ hours ■ Grade: Moderate

■ Distance: 5 miles/8km ■Time: 2½ hours ■Grade: Easy

Winter walks aren’t always how you imagine them to be. Sometimes they’re a hundred times better – even more so if you make a weekend of it.