Autumn Walking Festivals 2008

The days may be getting shorter and colder, but don't despair - autumn's reds and golds mean it's a glorious time to explore Britain's countryside.

If you fancy a weekend or week of guided walks and good company, read on to find out what you can do across the country this season.

Amber Valley & Erewash Walking Festival 13th - 28th September

The sixth Autumn Footprints Walking Festival in Derbyshire includes Nordic Walking taster sessions - poles provided - a walk with poetry readings and wild food harvesting. As you would expect, there are also plenty of walks taking in views of the valleys, and wildlife including a stroll guided by the RSPB and kingfisher spotting canal walks.

More information on the internet: www.dms-visitpeakdistrict.com / www.gdd.org.uk

Barmouth Festival Of Walking 20th - 28th September

Dramatic landscapes surround this small seaside town on the west coast of Wales, and Barmouth's annual event gives walkers of all abilities the opportunity to enjoy eight days of guided walks around the Mawddach Estuary and Southern Snowdonia. This year's 25 walks are all led by knowledgeable local guides, ranging from short two-hour rambles to full-day high level hikes.

Walkers, mountain bikers, climbers, orienteers and sailors come to the Snowdonia National Park to enjoy views of the Llyn Peninsula, the Rhinog Mountains and Cader Idris. Ancient drovers roads, old railway track beds and paths give access to mountains, lakes and woodland.

More information on the internet: www.barmouthwalkingfestival.co.uk

Richmond Walking & Book Festival 26th September - 5th October

The market town in scenic Swaledale, Yorkshire hosts this ten day walking and book festival. Walks on offer range from 12 mile hikes to literary and historical rambles, for the serious walker or the gentle stroller. Local boot makers Altberg are inviting applications to be a 'test pilot/walker' for new footwear.

Other entertainment includes talks, films, slide shows, ceilidhs and chamber orchestras. There's the chance to meet writers, adventurers, poets and politicians, and find out how to write your family memoir or get your book published. You can enjoy literary lunches, food, beer and wine tastings, plus a selection of locally produced cheeses, ice cream and fudge.

More information on the internet: www.richmondwalking.com

Walking West Sussex Festival 1st - 5th October

Amberley Working Museum, four miles north of Arundel in the Arun Valley, hosts the sixth festival on the South Downs. The 36 acre open-air site dedicated to the industrial heritage of the south-east contains a wide range of exhibits from transport and industry to resident traditional crafts-people.

There will be guided walks on each of the five days, varying in length and difficulty, some with pub stops. Whether it's a full day's walk or an entertaining stroll, followed by a picnic on the river bank or lunch at the Museum's restaurant, there will be something for all abilities. Take the escape route of Charles II along a part of the Monarch's Way, follow a tram car trundles or theatre walks, discover villages and villas from times past, explore the river, or be amazed by the wonders of woodland and wildlife.

More information on the internet: www.westsussex.gov.uk

Blairgowrie & East Perthshire Walking Festival 3rd - 9th October

Walkers can complete the Cateran Trail, and follow a range of routes from long distance to easy themed riverside walks. Munroes, Corbetts, Grahams, Marilyns, Tarmachan Ridge and Jock's Road are all to be climbed. This year there are 23 new walks, and for the first time there will be guided night time walks, one to the top of a Munro and the other a Ranger guided nature walk around Blairgowrie.

More information on the internet: www.walkingfestival.org

Cardigan Festival Of Walking 3rd - 5th October

For the 11th annual festival centring around the River Teifi Estuary in West Wales, there are a host of new walks exploring the Cardigan area's spectacular landscapes and seascapes. There is a selection of walks which will appeal to everyone, ranging from the strenuous to the more relaxed family walks.

The river valley and Cardigan Bay are Special Areas of Conservation. Historic attractions also abound such as Cardigan Castle, birth of the National Eisteddfod and Cilgerran Castle.

More information on the internet: www.visitcardigan.com

Cowalfest 3rd - 12th October

The fifth Cowalfest features walking and arts events around the Cowal Peninsula, part of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Cowal nestles between Loch Fyne on the west and Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde on the east, while in the north a spectacular route through a pass in the Arrochar Alps links the Peninsula to Loch Lomond.

The programme includes 76 walks, taking in rugged, dramatic hills, beaches strewn with oyster shells, luxuriant foliage, sparkling coastal waters and tumbling peaty waterfalls. Tours of four great houses, including Ardkinglas House, Ballimore, Benmore House and the Royal Marine Hotel, are part of this year's theme of the Castles and Mansion Houses of Cowal. There are wildlife walks and events, including a 'Birds of Prey' day. Other events include mountain bike rides, horse rides, theatre and food events, music and talks.

More information on the internet: www.cowalfest.org

Moffat Walking Festival 3rd - 5th October

Scotland's first 'Walkers are Welcome town' holds its eighth festival, in Moffat and the Moffat hills in in Upper Annandale. The weekend in the Southern Uplands provides a range of walks from a gentle amble to strenuous hill walks, a day's hiking or a short stroll in unspoilt countryside and clean air. Experienced walk leaders will enhance your walk with information on local historic sites and wildlife. Take on the challenge of Broadlaw or other walks in the Tweedsmuir area.

In the evenings, walkers can take to the dance floor to enjoy a jazz concert and a traditional Scottish Ceilidh in the Town Hall.

More information on the internet: www.visitmoffat.co.uk

Isle Of Man Walking Festival 9th - 12th October

Cross the Irish Sea to enjoy the best of Manx walking heritage with walks through dramatic scenery. Guided tours of towns and short leisurely explorations among woodlands, national glens and riversides will appeal to everybody, while seasoned walkers can undertake more demanding hill and coastal walks.

All walks are led by experienced leaders, who know the routes and provide information on the landscape as well as Celtic and Viking history. Sample the island's arts, folklore and cuisine, and unwind afterwards with festival social events and evenings. Getting about between walks is easy with the island's Victorian era steam and electric railways.

More information on the internet: www.visitisleofman.com

Haltwhistle Walking Festival 10th - 19th October

The 'Glorious Twelfth' festival takes place at the closest town to the central section of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage site and the Northumberland National Park, beside the River South Tyne. As well as plenty of routes covering Hadrian's Wall, there are walks themed around fungi, photography and geology.

Festival-goers can walk to Scotland and the Source of the North Tyne, follow the footsteps of Sir Walter Scott, hunt treasure with the family, join an RSPB warden, take a moonlit stroll, or enjoy a sensory walk and poetry workshop that's wheelchair accessible and suitable for those with lower agility or mobility or visual impairment. Away from the Borders are the Northern Pennines where you can enjoy a challenging and invigorating trek, and there are shorter circular and figure of eight walks.

More information on the internet: www.haltwhistle.org

Crieff & Strathearn Drovers' Tryst 11th - 18th October

This walking festival celebrates the life of those who made Crieff the crossroads of Scotland in the 1700s, seeking to recreate the bustling atmosphere of the droving days, without the 30,000 cattle. Walkers can tackle local Munros or take a gentle ramble through the glens and feast their eyes on the autumn colours of Perthshire. For its seventh year there's Nordic walking, navigation, photographic walks or a ghosts and ghouls stroll in the dark.

The mountain bike race 'Hairy Coo' for all ages will cover many of the drove roads through some spectacular scenery. Other activities to enjoy include the Comrie Croft Barn Dance, a night at a ceilidh, a night at the local cinema club, the local Country Market complete with historic re-enactments, and great food in the local restaurants and cafes.

More information on the internet: www.droverstryst.co.uk

Morpeth Riverside Walking Festival 24th - 31st October

The fifth festival at Castle Morpeth offers a variety of full and half day guided walks, including something for every level of walker, from complete beginners to more experienced walkers, with distances ranging from one mile to twelve miles. There are walks suitable for those with wheelchairs and also those with pushchairs as well as walks suitable for those with visual impairment.

More information on the internet: www.castlemorpeth.gov.uk

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