CheapTents Outdoor Gear Blog

The size of the Cairngorms National Park has been enlarged by one fifth. The park itself is relatively new, being set up in 2003. Since its establishment there has been an increase in the population, the number of businesses and the economy within the national park area. There has also been a decrease in unemployment. The new, extended boundary means that Highland Perthshire has now been incorporated into the national park.

The Cairngorms National Park now covers about 6 per cent of Scotland. With an area of 4,528 sq km it is twice the size of the Lake District National Park.

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South Africa has an enormous amount of countryside wilderness and mountains to attract walkers and hikers. There are a great many walking trails throughout the country, so South Africa has a large amount to offer people who wish to go walking abroad. Wherever you go you can be sure that there will be the possibility for hiking and adventure close by! Below we have a round up of just some of the places where you can go walking in South Africa.

The sheer escarpment of the Drakensberg. Source: Flickr by Fritz Park, taken by the Aitkenheads.

• Tom Buckley Charity Trek across the UK
• Isle of Wight Walking Festival
• Nokia Coast to Coast Adventure Race

Which walking route planner websites are the best? In the second part of our guide we are reviewing five websites that include walks in specific areas of the UK. We conclude with a review of John Dawson’s Lake District Walks.

• A Guide to Best Walking Route Planners
• Walking Northern Ireland Route Planner Review
• Walking North Wales – Route Planner Review

Which on-line walking route planners are the best? In the second part of our guide we are reviewing five websites that include walks in particular regions of the UK. In this particular review we are going walking in Northern Ireland using the WalkNI route planner.

www.walkni.com

Northern Ireland offers plenty of hiking opportunities, for example in the Mourne Mountains. Source: Flickr by Ryan McD

• Walking North Wales – Route Planner Review
• A Guide to Best Walking Route Planners
• Walkit Urban Route Planner Review

Which on-line walking route planners are the best? In the second part of our guide we are reviewing websites which focus on walks in specific regions. In this review our hiking destination is North Wales and to help us find our way around we have used the Walking North Wales website.

www.walkingnorthwales.co.uk

General / Searching for a Walk

As part of an initiative to encourage walkers to the region, this website has been created for Tourism Partnership North Wales. The simple, clean design of www.walkingnorthwales.co.uk make this walking route planner initially likeable, yet using the website and reading introductory text on the homepage gives the impression that it has not been written or designed by walkers.

• Walking Northern Ireland Route Planner Review
• Lake District Walks Route Planner Review
• A Guide to Best Walking Route Planners

In the future, due to shortages of land and restrictions in transport, food could be grown in skyscrapers. Often referred to as vertical farms, these buildings could become a prominent feature of the urban environment. For many city dwelling people, these vertical farms will offer the opportunity to go hiking. However, skyscrapers are not the only type of structure which can be used for growing vegetation.

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Which on-line walking route planners are the best? In the second part of our guide we are reviewing websites that include walks in particular regions. For this review we are walking in Scotland with Walk Highlands…

www.walkhighlands.co.uk

General / Searching for a Walk

If you are planning a walk in Scotland then look further than Walkinghighlands.co.uk. This walking route planner contains an enormous data base of free walking routes, 1,104 at present.

• Walking Northern Ireland Route Planner Review
• Walking North Wales – Route Planner Review
• A Guide to Best Walking Route Planners

In the first part of our guide to the best walking route planners we reviewed five websites which offer hiking routes throughout the UK. The were:

www.go4awalk.com
www.walkingbritain.co.uk
www.walkingenglishman.com
www.countrywalkingroutes.co.uk / www.trailroutes.com
(now rebranded on www.livefortheoutdoors.com)
www.walking-routes.co.uk

Is this footpath on the best walking guide? Source: Flickr by The Ancient Brit.

Region Specific Walking Route Planners

In this, the second part of the Guide to the Best Walking Route Planners we have reviewed five websites which each cover a specific walking region within the UK. The reviews will be posted over the next week or so. The hiking websites that will be featured are as follows:

• A Guide to Best Walking Route Planners
• Walkit Urban Route Planner Review
• Walking Highlands Route Planner Review

Located on the south west coast of India, Goa is a well known holiday location due to its beautiful, golden sandy beaches. Yet there are also many hiking opportunities in Goa for people who like to explore the countryside on foot. Take a journey inland in this tropical region and the terrain becomes mountainous. The mountainsides are green, covered by moist broadleaf deciduous forests that support many species of flora and fauna. Goa is an area that is world renowned for its biodiversity.

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The UK has around 7,700 miles of coastline and features many different types of landscape. These include high, rugged cliffs, gently sloping sandy beaches, shingle embankments and marshland. These different types of landscape support a myriad of wildlife, in particular many species of birds. So it is no surprise to find that there are plenty of opportunities for excellent walking along the many coastal paths in the UK.

Pembrokeshire Best Coast Path

According to a readers poll in the BBC’s Coast Magazine The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is the best coastal path in the UK. The 186-mile walking route is located inside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, in west Wales.

• Anglesey Coastal Path Walk
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