UKH

... as they'll be busy with Times readers

Times Sat 8 April 2023: Spring in your step
The UK’s best 20 walks to do this bank holiday weekend
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/20-walks-uk-bank-holiday-weekend-easter-... (paywalled) or:
http://archive.today/2023.04.07-234110/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2...

Only one in Scotland! Guess we will be ok then! 

On our walk today we did pass at least 3 other couples/ families. Felt a bit busy really. And there were other cars occasionally on our roads getting there.

It's awful here! 😜

Does the Times not have a relatively small circulation? 

I was on the hills between glen dochart and glen Lochay on Friday (bank holiday) with a forecast from MWIS of ‘sunshine from dawn until dusk’ and saw one group of two in about 7 hours.

That said there seemed to be a convoy of traffic on the way towards the Lawers range at 6.30am so maybe elsewhere it was mobbed 

On Monday 3rd, slap bang in the middle of the busy Easter school holidays I dipped ma tae in the honey pot of Glen Coe (I dislike (detest) crowds)....at 0745 ma motor was the only yin in the wee Buachaille car park. Up onto SCNL via the ZigZags, over Bidean and Stob Coire Sgreamhach, doon the Lairig Eilde. Didnae see another soul on the hill car tae car. The drive there and back was nice and quiet,  the weather and vis was sublime.... absolutely brutal.  🙂 

My normally quiet ‘back lanes’ in the White Peak were heaving yesterday. Mainly large groups which is unusual. Good to see people out and good to see my local getting good patronage at the end of a walk too.

Do Times readers still wear pinstripes and bowlers? Should be easy to spot them out on the hill.

In kintyre at the moment. Probably seen as many otters as people

Had to share a crag with some other people yesterday in the north west. Not often that happens. Campsite and roads pretty quiet though.

Thank goodness I never really feel the need to head south.

I was on the three central Lawers Munros that day (sort of experimental post-Covid rehab) and while the bit between Ghlas and Lawers itself was quite busy it was generally quieter than expected, especially on the return leg on the bypass path etc. I was later starting than the time mentioned above (1130) and went up Meall Corranaich by a mostly non-path route from near the dam (lots of Hielan coos!), then used the moorland short cut at the end. Lovely day, views up to Cluanie etc. The main car park - which I didn't use - was full to overflowing, with the warden on duty directing traffic, but plenty of the folk there could have been on Tarmachan.

That doesn’t sound too busy, not too much more than I’ve been there previously on fair weather weekends.  Maybe the traffic was folk heading up north for the weekend or the result of a few of the temporary traffic lights bunching up traffic. 
 

Generally we’re fortunate to have such a range of options to avoid the crowds (even in busier places) with a wee bit of planning.
 

hope the post-covid is experiment went well.

Yes, it was fine - I like sneaking up Corranaich by its western slopes - always quiet - and hardly anyone ever seems to use the direct line up Beinn Ghlas from the col these days (although funnily enough I followed a bloke up it on Friday). The roads were certainly quieter than expected - I set off home to Stirling 4.30pm-ish and there was hardly any traffic heading S on the Lubnaig stretch (more heading N) and even the usual holiday weekend jam at Callander didn't materialise.

Thanks - felt slightly tired/ploddy but nothing untoward - probably just age! I'd caught it (for the first time) about three weeks earlier, at the big national league chess event in Dunfermline (various other folk have caught it there), but it proved just to be the fun-sized version, nothing worse than a bad cold for about four days then soon on the improve. Within 12 days of catching it I'd tested clear, and I started to experiment with Ochils outings - the Lawers thing was a step up but seemed to make sense as it was familiar territory (I'm on 60 or more for all those three Munros) and there were plenty of easy escape options if I started to feel wobbly.

Glad to hear it - I had covid (or a similar illness) before Christmas and it’s taken me a while to get energy levels back.  I’m not too sure how much of that is post-illness and how much is carrying a heavier winter pack and over-consumption during the festive period.

I know what you mean. I was on Firemore beach(Loch Ewe) a few days ago and there must have been at least six people there!!

I am often amused, but quite relieved, that in such 'best walks' guides few walks from Scotland are included.

Had a short walk out the back of Gairloch this morning and met no one.

Dave

Sounds horrible. Down here in the crowded hell that is England I encountered one or two out on the trail about the Lune Valley. I stopped for a break by the river but my peace was disturbed by the swarms of sand martins. I thought the government were dealing with these pesky immigrants? In the fields, hundreds of unmarried single parents with their offspring bleating away. Jumping for joy about all the benefits they're getting they were. Thankfully, it'll be p1ssing down tomorrow and I can stay at home.

Everyone was in Aviemore. 6 miles of parked cars fro Coylumbridge to the ski centre. Never seen anything like it!

<smugbarsteward>Met no-one on a 30km wander in Caithness.  Mind the A9 was pretty busy yesterday </smugbarsteward>

Normal weather has returned.

Indeed, looking forward to battling 30mph gusts and drizzle/sleet/snow again this week.  Summer was nice while it lasted I suppose.

There was no one out where I was walking today in Bucks. Never seen it so quiet.

Well I’ve just got back from two days on the hills where not only did I not meet another soul, I didn’t even see anyone on the horizon, or in the distance.  Mind you I did choose very carefully …..

In the Lakes at the mo. Let me think, walk venue for today....

Grasmere? No. Langdale? No. Seathwaite (one of them)? No. Buttermere? No....

North I think, yes, north....

Had a surprisingly nice quiet couple of days in Eryri. Opted not to try and climb Ogwen or Llanberis and instead walked from Rhyd Ddu to have a look at Cloggy. Apart from crossing the ranger path, saw two people the whole day. Blissfully quiet and glorious weather.

Going back to the original post, this is a pretty original list and much better than you usually see in 'best ofs' in national newspapers.

It is the word "best" which is ludicrous. "Selected" would make a lot more sense.