Mound everest

It’s the busiest time of year for Britain’s beautiful places. Yet as these locations prove, you can find silence, sensational scenery and space to breathe.

The Victorians confused these Shropshire hills with the Alps. How? Why? Trail dons its lederhosen, downs a glühwein and reaches for the Stretton Skyline to find out.

1 C erne Abbas Giant almost lost his ...

■Distance: 7 miles/11.5km ■Time: 4½ hours ■Grade: Moderate

Moments enjoyed, lessons learned, handy advice, weird stuff that happened: welcome to the little bits and pieces that don’t make big stories, but do make all the difference.

Places we've been, things we've seen, and mountain-related stuff we like