Wild & Wonderful: A Beginner’s Guide to Wild Swimming
Wild & Wonderful: A Beginner’s Guide to Wild Swimming Take the Plunge into Wild Swimming! Have you ever arrived at a tranquil lake or rippling
June 25, 2024
Unleash your inner explorer and get ready to enjoy some stunning trails in the UK, perfect for solo female walkers. We’ve chosen these routes specifically for their safety, beautiful scenery and wildlife. There’s a mix of easier, shorter walks for beginners, and every walk has a café or pub at the start or on route, with toilets for those who aren’t quite ready to brave the bush!!
With its diverse landscape, stunning National Parks, and well-maintained walking paths, the UK offers a wonderful range of day walks full of interest, perfect for solo female walkers who want to go at their own pace. From the rugged Scottish Highlands to the rolling hills of the Cotswolds, there’s a walk to suit every fitness level and interest!
We at Women Outdoors have compiled this list with solo female travellers in mind! We’ve chosen 10 fantastic walks perfect for solo female travellers, with an emphasis on clear paths, beautiful scenery, and well-deserved pub or cafe stops to refuel.
A flat, easy walk for beginners in the stunning Lake District National Park!
Start: Keswick
Distance: 10 miles (or less).
Take the whole day to enjoy the 10 miles in your own time or enjoy a section at a time with a ride across Derwent Water on the Keswick Launch to one of the many landing stages.
With lots of toilet stops, cafes and viewpoints on route and breathtaking scenery all the way around, this is the perfect walk for solo women walkers who want to enjoy things a step at a time!
This shoreline walk has well maintained paths, through ancient woodlands, overlooking some of the most beautiful scenery and fells in the Lake District, such as the popular Cat Bells. Keep your eyes peeled for red squirrels and deer too!
A popular route, so there’ll be plenty of friendly faces, making you feel safe and confident that you’re following the right route.
Fancy challenging yourself to England’s highest mountain, but don’t want to do it alone?
Join Women Outdoors for a weekend in the Lake District climbing Scafell Pike and rejuvenating yourself with a wild water swim
Harry Potter fans, you’re going to love this one! This fairly easy 2-mile trail takes you alongside the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, as seen in the Harry Potter movies with stunning views over Loch Shiel!
Start: Fort William
Distance: 2 miles
Although only a short walk, part of your day will comprise a beautiful drive to this stunning part of Scotland, from nearby towns such as Fort William following Loch Shiel. Once you arrive at Glenfinnan, be sure to wait for to witness the majestic Jacobite Steam Train which passes over the bridge at around 10.45am and 3.15pm each day in the summer months. Please check out the timetables to avoid any disappointment. Although the bridge itself is well worth the visit!
Always thinking about refreshments and toilet breaks for you solo female walkers, there are two options here! Call in at the Glenfinnan Station Museum where you can enjoy food and drink in the impressive Glenfinnan Dining Car! Or why not really treat yourself to afternoon tea at Glenfinnan House Hotel!?
The walk itself is mainly on good paths but can be a little steep in places.
Immerse yourself in history and rejuvenate yourself in the pure sea air on this iconic 3.5 mile clifftop loop walk.
Start: Dover
Distance: 3.5 miles
The dramatic white cliffs are a national treasure, with magnificent views towards France and so much wildlife to enjoy on route! Picture warm sunshine one your face, a gentle sea breeze in your hair, gorgeous viewpoints with benches for those that need a little rest, and a delicious slice of cake waiting for you at the halfway point at Mrs Knott’s Tearoom in one of the old lighthouse cottages!
This is a National Trust route, with a very straightforward easy route on good paths so you should feel safe that you can’t get lost, making it great for solo female walkers! Remember to keep away from the edges though! Most of the route is flat, so great for beginners too, however, there is one short steep stepped section, but plenty of time to catch your breath while you take in those endless views.
Although a shorter 3.5 mile route, this still makes for a great day walk, with so much to see and do, such as a tour of the lighthouse and a browse around the visitor centre.
One of the easier climbs for solo female walkers wanting to experience stunning views and the most beautiful sunrise over the Peak District National Park!
Start: Castleton, Derbyshire
Distance: 6 miles
No trip to the Peak District would be complete without a trip to Mam Tor! If you’re an early riser wanting to head out for sunrise, you’re unlikely to be alone, as many photographers head here to grab that impressive Instagram snap and you’ll be able to share yours too!
Although there’s no cafes or toilets on this six-mile route, the walk starts and finishes in the popular village of Castleton, where you will find cafes and pubs in abundance, so you’ll be spoilt for choice on where to spend a penny!
Most of the route follows well marked trails and paths, and some country lanes, so another easy route to follow. Be mindful that there are some rockier sections and it can be a little wet underfoot at times, so be sure to wear suitable footwear.
The climb is truly worth it, with lots of places to sit and take in the views and reward your achievements with a big slice of cake in your pack-up when you conquer the summit, or maybe a glass of fizz back at the pub!
For those who fancy a little company in The Peak District, check out Women Outdoors’ organised Peak District Walks and activities, inspiring like-minded women to embrace and appreciate the great outdoors, offering free, and affordable monthly walks and activities.
A fabulous circular walk passing by several pubs, on good footpaths and bridleways, spotting New Forest ponies and other animals along the way.
Start: Lyndhurst
Distance: 8.5 miles
If you’ve never experienced the New Forest’s pretty villages and its beautiful fell ponies and wildlife, this 8.5 mile walk is a corker to introduce you! It can even be completed in shorter sections, perfect for solo female walkers staying in The New Forest.
Passing through bustling little villages, lined with pretty thatched cottages and traditional village pubs, this walk is a great option for refreshment breaks. Taking you to an iconic viewpoint, Bolton’s Bench, passing through open countryside blanketed with purple heather in the summer months, and teaming with new forest ponies and other wildlife such as deer, rabbits and foxes all year round!
We all love the sights and sounds of a powerful waterfall, right? The magic of Aber Falls is one of Snowdonia National Park’s most impressive features and it’s one of the most accessible too in this there and back route.
Start: National Trust, Abergwyngregyn
Distance: 2.5 miles
Aber Falls is the perfect waterfall route for those discovering the beauty of Snowdonia and all that makes it so special, encouraging returning solo female walkers year after year. This popular route has great paths to the falls where the river dramatically plunges from 120 feet, roaring into a pretty pool.
This short walk, doesn’t have a pitstop on route, however, there are lots of open spaces, perfect for relaxing with the sounds of the water and a book and picnic, to kick back, relax and enjoy all that the great outdoors has to offer.
Fancy challenging yourself a little more, with like minded ladies discovering the beauty of the outdoors? Join Women Outdoors as you conquer Snowdon with qualified mountain leaders, helping you achieve the ultimate Snowdonia goal whilst having fun along the way, even trying your hand at paddleboarding!
Not only is this the largest common in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it’s also the highest point in the Cotswolds with breathtaking views!
Start: Cleeve Hill
Distance: 4 or 6 miles
This little gem has two options – 4 miles or 6 miles, so you can do as much or as little as you please, making it great for beginners who might surprise themselves and decide to push themselves that extra couple of miles.
Taking you over open hill tops, across babbling streams, and into peaceful woodlands, you can discover the magic of the Cotswolds’ unique limestone grassland which is a haven for wildflowers and butterflies. Immerse yourself in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and capture picture-perfect moments with every step.
For those who struggle with stiles, this is a great option, as there are no stiles on either route, although there are a few steeper sections on the longer route, which is worth it for those unbeatable views over the beautiful Cotswold Way.
There are two possible starting points here, so you can choose to start/finish at The Golf Club for a quick toilet break before you set off, and the reward of a meal at the end, or choose the alternative starting point, to treat yourself to lunch at The Golf Club halfway around. Either option is perfect walk for solo female walkers who like to lunch!
Possibly one of the prettiest walks in the UK! Picture meadow fields bursting with wildflowers in the spring and early summer, cute barns dotting the landscape, all following the flow of the river, through stunning Swaledale.
Start: Keld
Distance: 6 miles
Ladies, this is your real chance to escape the everyday and step into the timeless beauty of Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park! Imagine breathing in crisp air amidst sweet smelling wildflowers, and fields dotted with grazing sheep and cute barns. Picture quaint villages whispering tales of times gone by, all following the gentle curves of the River Swale.
Whilst you might have to pay a little closer attention to the directions on your map, this is another popular walk, so there will be lots of people to help you get from A to B. A being Keld, a remote little village, but with a café to fuel you before you set off. And B, being the most delightful little village of Muker with a tea rooms and village pub, so plenty of places to grab a refreshing drink and a quick toilet break, before heading back to Keld in this 6 mile beauty!
If you fall in love with Yorkshire as much as we have,
why not join Women Outdoors in Yorkshire’s ultimate Three Peaks Challenge!
A wonderful walk all year round, where you can discover Norfolk’s diverse marshland, huge sandy beaches, windmills and the cutest baby seals in the winter!
Start: Horsey
Distance: 6 miles
We all love a costal walk, but couple that with the sight of baby seals along the sandy beaches in the winter, makes this a great walk for solo women walkers in the winter. Ordinarily, when walks can be quieter in the winter months, you’re guaranteed to feel safe here in the winter, as many other walkers visit these gorgeous seal pups!
This easy six mile walk around Horsey in Norfolk Broads National Park can either start from the National Trust centre at Hornsey, or the fabulous village pub! So, you can fuel up before and after your leisurely stroll. However, on route, make a slight detour for refreshments at Poppylands Tea Rooms in Horsey Corner, taking you a step back in time to the war in 1940’s Britain!
A Fulking good pub walk! Be careful how you pronounce your planned walk with this one ladies!
Start: Fulking
Distance: 4 miles
Did you know, The South Downs National Park is regarded as ‘’Europe’s miniature rainforest’’ with over 40 species of wildflower and 20 species of butterfly in just one square metre!
This delightful four-mile circular walk takes in some of the best scenery the South Downs has to offer, via Devil’s Dyke, an area of outstanding natural beauty and largest chalkland dry combe in Britain, attracting a variety of plants and butterflies. The walk starts and finishes at The Shepherd and Dog pub, a traditional country pub with a large beer garden and stunning views of the surrounding countryside.
The walk itself can be a little challenging with a couple of steep accents, but well worth it for those stunning views, and the reward of a pint at the Fulking Pub!
**Disclaimer – Please use these walks as inspiration but be sure to familiarise yourself with the routes beforehand, and perhaps back them up with a GPS walking App if you have one for extra confidence in your navigation.
Whether you’re an experienced hiker, looking for new routes to enjoy, or walking virgins who want to get outside to enjoy its beauty and embrace the many physical and mental health benefits of the FREE great outdoors, we hope this list will provide inspiration and motivation for your travels.
We’d love you to join our Women Outdoors UK Private Facebook Group please and share images and tales of your travels, with like minded ladies looking for inspiration!
Here at Women Outdoors, we want ALL women, of all walks of life, to be able to enjoy the health benefits of the great outdoors by inviting you to join us on free monthly guided walks, and other affordable walks and outdoor adventures with a friendly, supportive community.
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