• The Northern Trek route - 560 mile (901km)
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  • Across the 6 edges. Derbyshire
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  • Looking towards Edale and the official start of The Pennine Way
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  • Ken crossing the limestone pavement on Malham Cove
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  • GPX mapping is downloadable for all routes on the Northern Trek
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  • Malham Cove
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  • Ingleborough after an early morning snowfall
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  • Ribblehead Viaduct
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  • Wonderful Wensleydale
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  • High Cup Nick
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  • A lonely barn on the Pennine Way near Lambley
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  • Hadrian's Wall
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  • Over the wonderful Cheviot Hills and just over the border to Kirk Yetholm
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  • The Border Hotel, the official finish of the Pennine Way
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  • Dryrange Old Bridge, on the River Tweed
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  • On top of Pentland's ridge route
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  • Salisbury Crags from the climb up to Arthur's Seat
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  • Edinburgh skyline from the Dugald Stewart Memorial
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  • Calton Hill, Edinburgh
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  • Victoria Street, Edinburgh
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  • The Forth Bridge
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  • Bo'ness, on the Firth of Forth
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  • The start of The West Highland Way, Milngavie
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  • 'Fly through animation' for each section so you can see the route in 3D
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  • Loch Lomond from Conic Hill
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  • Blackrock Cottage in the wild setting of Rannoch Moor
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  • Buachaille Etive Mor from Kingshouse
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  • Loch Leven, The West Highland Way
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  • Ben Nevis - approaching the final summit
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  • Reaching the summit of Ben Nevis. What a fantastic feeling! You will be the highest people in the UK.
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  • Chatsworth House - the start of the Northern Trek
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A new 560 mile (901km) challenge - from Chatsworth House to the summit of Ben Nevis.

Heading north from Derbyshire, through the foothills and ridges of the Pennines, crossing the Yorkshire Dales, over the Cheviots, across the Pentland Hills and into Edinburgh to climb Arthur’s Seat. A couple of days in the magnificent Georgian city perhaps, and then along the John Muir footpath, and to the start of the final test, The West Highland Way and on to the summit of Ben Nevis. What a finish lies ahead.

Hike through 4 National Parks, and 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Look eastwards to the North Sea in Northumberland and West from Loch Lomond towards the Atlantic Ocean. And then a welcome pint in my favourite hikers' bar at the foot of Ben Nevis. You can walk it in one 35-40 day blast. Or walk it in 6 separate sections. One section each year perhaps. Spend a decade, or simply add it to your bucket list - knowing it is there. There is no time limit. My starting point was to link together two long distance footpaths (The Pennine Way and The West Highland Way) which I had already completed. And design a bigger and much longer route. In effect a 'Cross Border' walk which I could share. In my own style and to inspire walkers to go that extra mile. To think Big. And challenge yourself. The Northern Trek.

Explore The walks of The Northern Trek…

Section Route Distance Ascent
1: The Tail Chatsworth House to Gargrave 98 miles 16,315 feet
2: The Rump Gargrave to Alston 111 miles 16,360 feet
3: The Back Alston to Kirk Yetholm 81 miles 12,150 feet
4: The Neck Kirk Yetholm to Edinburgh 97 miles 15,671 feet
5: The Head Edinburgh to Milngavie 68 miles 4,592 feet
6: The Crown / The Glory Milngavie to Fort William / Ben Nevis 95 / 10 miles 13,707 / 4,650 feet
560 miles in total 83,445 feet of ascent*

*including Ben Nevis

Section 1: The Tail
Chatsworth House to Gargrave

98 miles / 16,315 feet of ascent

Section 2: The Rump
Gargrave to Alston

111 miles / 16,360 feet of ascent

Section 3: The Back
Alston to Kirk Yetholm

81 miles / 12,150 feet of ascent

Section 4: The Neck
Kirk Yetholm to Edinburgh

97 miles / 15,671 feet of ascent

Section 5: The Head
Edinburgh to Milngavie

68 miles / 4,592 feet of ascent

Section 6: The Crown / The Glory
Milngavie to Fort William / Ben Nevis

95 / 10 miles / 13,707 / 4,650 feet of ascent

If you want to hike in stunning countryside - this may be the walk for you?

290 miles (467km) in England. 270 miles (434km) in Scotland.

That marvellous feeling of anticipation when you set off on your first climb in Derbyshire. 

Already thinking ahead perhaps, to the remote hilltops of the Northern Pennines and to the great summit, to climb the old volcano, Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, north of Fort William at 4,406ft (1343m).

The total distance 560 miles (901km). 

The total climb 83,445 ft (25,434m).

Now that’s what I call a walk!

The sun on your back, the wonderful days which lie ahead, the new friends you will make on ‘The Northern Trek’ and the stories you can bring back and share with family and friends.

Walk or Run, Camp or Backpack, Youth Hostel, Bed & Breakfast, or stay in Pubs and Hotels

The choice is yours. The Northern Trek really does have facilities and accommodation all the way. 

Transport and Parking is also very good. There are good rail links to sections in Edale, Gargrave, Edinburgh, Milngavie and Fort William. 

When is the best time? 

Walk it in all seasons - there is no best time in my view.

I walked the bigger sections (The Pennine Way and West Highland Way) during the spring and early Autumn. 

If you decide to walk The Northern Trek in 6 to 7 weeks, I would probably hike during the months March to October. 

There is an alternative of course. Mix up the six sections - and walk them when you please.

Then, there is no reason why you cannot walk in all the seasons. Maybe one section in the Spring, and one in Winter and so on, until the whole walk is complete.

The variety of weather and conditions will make for a different experience at different times of the year.

Variety. This walk has it all.

Weather

I am sure most walkers will have a look at the general weather in the UK, and there are plenty of websites available for this. Of course it’s generally best in Spring and Summer.

It is inevitable though, that you will walk in all conditions.

Daylight hours are much longer in the spring and summer months. 

Almost 17 hours of daylight on the longest day in June. Only 7 hours 49 minutes on the shortest day in December.

It gets colder the further north you travel. 

My simple benchmark. If it's 10 degrees in Derbyshire, it’ll be 8 degrees on Hadrians Wall, 6 degrees in Fort William and 4 degrees on top of  Ben Nevis. The incoming ‘weather’ on The Northern Trek will generally come from the West - from over The Atlantic.

Study the BBC weather report www.bbc.co.uk/weather

As Wainwright once said though, ‘there is no such thing as bad weather - just bad clothing’.

Elevation profiles for each section

Altitude (feet)

4,404

Chatsworth House
to
Gargrave

The Tail

98 miles

Gargrave
to
Alston

The Rump

111 miles

Alston
to
Kirk Yetholm

The Back

81 miles

Kirk Yetholm
to
Edinburgh

The Neck

97 miles

Edinburgh
to
Milngavie

The Head

68 miles

Milngavie
to
Fort William / Ben Nevis

The Crown / The Glory

95 / 10 miles