Coast Path. Walkers on the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness can easily catch buses running parallel. Of course, not all trails are so well supported, and some services may be seasonal at best, but walkers who take the trouble to pick up timetables in advance will always be able to include public transport options in their plans, rather than having to chase details later.
Call on the services of Traveline to discover if there are any useful public transport services going your way – either telephone 0871 2002233, or check the website www.traveline.info.
Daily Routine
Walking a national trail means adopting an entirely different routine to that of usual daily life. First thing in the morning you rise from your sleeping bag or hostel bunk, or awake in an unfamiliar hotel or guesthouse room. If self-catering, breakfast is whatever you make of it, otherwise whatever your accommodation provider can offer (any special dietary requirements should be made known well in advance). Wise walkers will already be aware of the day’s weather forecast and will arrange their clothing to suit prevailing conditions.
Generally, most people will aim to start early on the trail, and this is easily arranged if you are camping or hostelling. However, negotiating early breakfasts with hotels and guesthouses requires tact, and consideration for the needs of your host – some will oblige and others will most definitely not!
Walking long distance in high summer means that you can make good use of extended hours of daylight. In the winter months, on the other hand, fewer daylight hours means shorter walks, or you risk continuing in darkness. The important thing to do, day after day, is pace yourself comfortably. Dawdling and dragging your feet will mean finishing late in the day, while rushing like a maniac along the trail could easily result in pain, fatigue and injury. Neither the hare nor the tortoise was right – the best approach lies in between.
Looking to Froward Point from Combe Point on the way to Dartmouth (Day 35, South West Coast Path)
Looking along the coast path as it heads from Port Quin towards Pentire Point (Day 12, South West Coast Path)
Take an interest in your surroundings, especially if it is unlikely you will ever pass that way again. Enjoy the scenery and photograph it if you want a lasting memory. Visit museums and country churches and take note of the vernacular architecture. Support little country shops and pubs wherever possible, and passing the time of day with local people can give access to founts of local knowledge. Mark the changing seasons and the effect this has on trees, flowers and wildlife. Have a chat with other walkers on the trail, especially those coming the other way, since they may have important information about conditions and facilities ahead. If you find a kindred spirit heading in the same direction as yourself, you may even find a friend for life. The daily routine on the trail should not be one of predictable drudgery, but should allow you to keep moving without undue stress or fatigue, leaving you free to savour the sheer joy of being alive and among some of the country’s most scenic and interesting landscapes.
Towards the end of each day, honour any advance bookings made with accommodation providers, and most importantly, phone and tell them if anything has upset your plans, making you late or unable to show. Some people worry and may call out the emergency services if they don’t hear from you. If you need collecting from the trail, or transporting to and from a pub or restaurant in the evening, be sure to make arrangements in advance, rather than springing this on your host at the last minute.
If the day has been hot and sweaty, you should rinse out clothes and hang them to dry, or if the day has been wet and miserable, be sure to get your clothes dried at the first opportunity, since that will make all the difference to morale in the morning. Those who prefer to camp in the wilds should be scrupulous about being as low key as possible, leaving no trace of their pitches. Also, be sure to pop your head out of the tent on clear nights, as the view of the stars above is often truly remarkable and stirs the soul (of all who walk the national trails, surely those who camp in the wilds are the most blessed).
Emergencies
Getting slightly lost, or suffering a minor cut or scrape, is quite likely to happen at some point on the trail, but is of no real consequence. If you are a rusty navigator, then keep an eye on your map and guide and take every opportunity to improve your skills. If you miss a turning, it is usually better to backtrack to a position where you are certain you are on course, rather than try to cut across country to pick up the trail at some other point. It is very rare that anyone becomes so hopelessly lost on a national trail that they need to be rescued, but walkers have been inconvenienced by straying off-route, losing time and energy while trying to undo their mistakes.
Serious injury is quite another matter. Anyone suffering a bad fall or an accident that leaves them unable to keep walking will need to be rescued. In upland areas, this will doubtless involve the nearest mountain rescue team, while in coastal areas it may involve the coastguard. As many of Britain’s national trails run through fairly gentle countryside, the usual ambulance, fire or police services might attend an evacuation. It all depends on the nature of the emergency, and the best thing for anyone to do is simply to alert the emergency services by calling 999 (or the European 112) and giving them full details so that they can make an appropriate response. Better still, walk with due care and attention to avoid emergency situations in the first place.
ENGLAND
View across Pendour Cove near Zennor to distant Gurnard’s Head (Day 18)
South West Coast Path
| Start and Finish | Minehead to South Haven Point |
| Distance and Time | 1016km (631 miles) taking 6 to 7 weeks |
| Character | A coastal trail of great variety, taking in everything from arduous cliff paths to easy walks along seaside promenades. Some days are much tougher than others and at times the route is quite intricate. Allow plenty of time to explore all the historic towns, huddled villages, museums and herit age centres. |
| Highlights | The high parts of the Exmoor coast, Hartland Point to Bude, Boscastle to Tintagel, St Ives to Penzance, Mullion to Cadgwith, Dodman Point, Polruan to Polperro, Plymouth Waterfront Walkway, Wembury to Bigbury, Salcombe to Start Point, Dartmouth to Brixham, Beer Head, the Undercliff to Lyme Regis, Golden Cap, Isle of Portland, Osmington Mills to Lulworth Cove and Swanage. |
This is the longest of all the national trails in Britain, twice the length of its nearest rivals in the Pennines. The coast path essentially owes its origin to the 18th-century coastguard paths that were established as part of the fight against the smuggling trade. Following the imposition of excise duty on certain goods, ships began to land their illicit cargoes on remote, unfrequented coastlines, and tales of smuggling and shipwreck abound round the southwest coast. The Coastguard Service was established in 1822 and coastguards pounded beats along the cliff tops, peering into every hidden cove on the lookout for smugglers. In cat-and-mouse fashion, smugglers and coastguards tried to outwit each other, but in due course smuggling declined and less time was spent patrolling the cliffs on foot. Some coastguard paths fell into disuse and were lost, but leisure walking arrived just in time to give many stretches a new lease of life.
Looking from Poltridmouth to Polruan after walking round Gribbin Head (Day 28)
