I was intrigued recently to hear the views of an American writer, photographer and now big-time walker living in Scotland. Alison Chino, who you can see on a couple of Macs Adventure walking trips St Cuthbert’s Way and England’s Coast to Coast, has discovered two great things about walking while living in Aberdeen with her husband and family. Firstly, Alison is amazed and delighted by how much the Scots walk. Okay, so we hear about the surveys that show Scottish people to be lazy and over-weight, but when compared to America, the Scots walk a lot more in every day life, according to Alison. She said: “In America you get in your car to go everywhere. The inner town and city infrastructure is set up for motors not for being on foot. However, in Scotland we walk to the shops, school, work and church. There are so many more everyday opportunities to walk, and I like this.” Secondly, Alison has become enthralled by Britain’s long-distance walking trails. She said: “There are just so many long walking trails and I want to walk them all. It was been so fantastic to discover that all these walks are practically on our doorstep, compared to the distances we need to travel in America, and they are so easy to navigate. I just can’t decide which ones I want to walk net but I know I want to walk many of them.” [caption id="attachment_13107" align="aligncenter" width="585"] Alison Chino, right, on the Coast to Coast walk.[/caption]

Where to walk in the UK

It’s true that we so often take for granted what is all around us. When Alison revealed how impressed she is by the UK’s great outdoors it reminded me just how lucky we are. Close to almost every home is an easily accessible walking path or trail and criss- crossing the country are numerous waymarked long-distance routes that offer a wealth of walking for all ages and fitness levels. Indeed, Alison confessed that although she loves to walk she is not a pro. She said: “I like walking but I am not a super fit kind of walker. I take my time and enjoy the walking. I do love being outdoors and I am enjoying exploring the many waymarked routes in Scotland and in the wider UK.”

10 great UK walking trails

Borders Abbey Way: A 65-mile walk through the beautiful and rolling landscape of the Scottish Borders visiting four historic abbeys en route. Fife Coastal Path: Enjoy the fabulous east coast of Scotland on a 117-mile waymarked trail. Glyndŵr's Way: Celebrate 135-miles of Welsh cultural and natural history along Glyndŵr's Way from Welshpool to Knighton. Great Glen Way: A 79-mile walk through Scotland’s fabulous Highland’s landscape from Fort William to Inverness. The average time to walk this route is seven to nine days. But if you only have five days to spare why not check out the new Great Glen Escape. Hadrian’s Wall Path: Walk 84 miles from coast to coast following the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall, past Roman settlements and forts. John Muir Way: One of Scotland’s newest long-distance walks travels 134 miles from Dunbar on the east coast to Helensburgh on the west coast. Pennine Way: A 268-mile trail steeped in history and taking in the rugged backbone of England. St Cuthbert’s Way: A 63-mile cross English and Scottish border walk following in the footsteps of the pilgrim, St Cuthbert. South Downs Way: A 100-mile adventure from Winchester to Eastbourne and a host of glorious scenery in between. West Highland Way: The original and classic long-distance walk in Scotland runs 96 miles from Milngavie, near Glasgow, to Fort William.   Also see Scotland’s Great Trails Great Trails of England and Wales Macs Adventure UK walking holidays. Alison's website http://www.alisonchino.com/