Thoughts on Land's End to John o'Groats trail

Walking the length of the British Isles between its most distant points, from Land's End to John o'Groats, could require covering as little as 874 miles long (according to the signposts at each end). However this would involve walking beside long busy roads, an unpleasant experience. If walking this distance for pleasure the "End to End" trail as it is called, links up numerous national and local trails allowing the hiker to visit some of the best scenery in the UK. Andy Robinson has described a suitable route in his "End to End Trail" published by Cicerone. This follows such trails as the South West Coast Path, Offas Dyke, the Staffordshire Way, the Limestone Way, the Pennine Way, St Cuthbert's Way, the John Muir Way, and the West Highland Way, and then crosses the Northern Highlands on a route of his own devising. Andy's total route amounts to 1215 miles or 1956 kilometres. His recommended way through the Northern Highlands is quite different from the previous 1675 kilometres. It is not on a recognised path, with significant pathless stretches on very irregular land and is remote with no or few facilities, accommodation or shops for days on end, requiring wild camping and carrying significant amounts of food. For this reason most End to End walkers seem to go follow the Great Glen Way and John o'Groats Trail from Fort William. Going this route means that, if you wish, with a few long days and good planning ahead, you never need camp or carry camping gear.

I attempted Andy's guidebook route across the Northern Highlands but owing to knee problems had to retreat at Kinlochewe. Restarting at Fort William and following the well defined Great Glen Way and, in parts more difficult, John o'Groats Trail, on reaching the end I clocked up 1353 miles or 2165 kilometres.

If using Andy's guidebook, note that he is a super-human, covering great distances day after day. The rest of humanity should plan to complete the End to End trail in three months with many shorter daily stages than in the Cicerone guide. In general using the daily stages in the guides to the individual trails, the Pennine Way etc., is more realistic as a base for planning. 

Starting from Land's End, you begin on the South West Coast Path. Probably the best and most dramatic coast path in the UK, it is quite tough due to the amount of climbing and descending into and out of valleys. On the plus side the little villages and towns on route are picture postcard perfect with plenty of facilities (and people). Andy's route from Barnstaple is a good one which I would recommend crossing the hills of Exmoor, the Quantocks and the Mendips, although there is some not so great farmland to cross. After Avonmouth I would follow the Severn Way beside the river to the Old Severn Bridge, and then rejoin Andy's recommended route up Offa's Dyke path, which has some lovely paths up the Wye Valley and over the Black Mountains, through attractive towns like Hay-on-Wye. After Knighton the route branches off walking the length of Wenlock Edge to reach Ironbridge. Once the heart of the Industrial Revolution, it is now an interesting place to visit a few museums. Sections of the Monarch's Way and Staffordshire Way take you by small roads and canals, over Cannock Chase to the Derbyshire Dales, an area of beautiful if over popular limestone scenery. I deviated off Andy's route to follow the Limestone Way up to Edale, where the Pennine Way begins, Britain's oldest National Long Distance Trail, which I followed up the spine of England to its conclusion at Kirk Yetholm. I rejoined Andy's route across the Scottish Borders on a variety of trails including St Cuthbert's Way, Southern Uplands Way and the John Muir Way, taking in attractive border towns with ruined abbeys, more recent canals and the Falkirk Wheel. The West Highland Way takes you on a mainly easy route through the Highlands to Fort William, with views over Loch Lomond and Glencoe being a highlight. I then attempted Andy's route over the Northern Highlands, before knee problems led me up the easier Great Glen Way and John o'Groats Trail.

The blog of my trip starts here.

Signpost at John o'Groats.

Sign at John o'Groats.