‘not the west highland way’

Our walks this month Ian Battersby 1 ...

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.

SCENIC LINEAR ROUTE

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.

2025 marks 200 years since the birth of the modern railway, which gave millions of city-weary walkers a way to escape to the country.

Over the stippled swell of the Firth of Clyde soars a gannet. A pair of long, black-tipped wings catches the late-August light as the bird tilts on the breeze. It’s on fish patrol – curving low then r