10 exquisite hill hikes — Little Hills of Joy

Roseberry Topping is one of the most recognisable and charismatic objects in the North York Moors National Park. Such is its prominence above the surrounding landscape, it has earned the moniker ‘the Matterhorn of Yorkshire.’ Unlike the famous Swiss mountain, you don’t need to be an alpinist with nerves… read more

An icon of the Lake District, Catbells’ gorgeous form and easy access elevate it above the likes of Haystacks and Helm Crag to claim the title of the national park’s most beloved mountain-in-miniature. Catbells is a marriage of shapeliness and splendour, offering just enough challenge to enthral the… read more

Boasting superb views and a wealth of vibrant flora and fauna, Butser Hill and the wider Queen Elizabeth Country Park are a delight to explore. At 889 feet (271 m) above sea level, Butser Hill is the highest point on the chalk ridge of the South Downs and the second highest in the National Park, behind… read more

Geological wonder, ancient history, fascinating folklore and scenic splendour combine in the Eildon Hills, a beloved trio of little peaks in the quiet countryside of the Scottish Borders. Promising sublime views of Teviotdale, the evidence of a Neolithic fort and associations with legendary characters… read more

At 1,821 feet (555 m) above sea level, Moel Famau is the loftiest of our 10 Little Hills of Joy and is also the highest point in North Wales’ Clwydian Range. This glorious hill will be familiar to anyone who has tackled the Offa’s Dyke Path, one of Britain’s most spellbinding long-distance trails. The… read more

The Malvern Hills rise steeply and unexpectedly above Worcestershire’s patchwork pastures as a long, north-to-south ridge that looks like it’s been hauled down from the Pennines or the eastern Lake District. Separating the counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire, the ridge’s prominence rewards explorers… read more

With associations to some of the nation’s greatest scientists and musical composers; surrounded by beautiful forest trails that burst with life in spring and summer; crowned by a majestic 18th-century Gothic tower and standing proud as the highest point on Southeast England’s Greensand Ridge, Leith Hill… read more

For many young hikers, Ben A’an’s astonishing, craggy apex is their first taste of Highland grandeur. This mini mountain, standing proud and defiant in the midst of the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, has the swagger and the personality to trump many much loftier summits. Rarely does a modest… read more

For a national park mostly characterised by gritstone edges, wild moorland, green valleys and limestone gorges, it sometimes seems odd that there aren’t many proper peaks in the Peak District. Mam Tor bucks this trend. While it may not have the pointiness of a Highland Stob, a Cuillin Sgurr or a Chamonix… read more

Some hills are so remarkably located and achieve such prominence over the surrounding land that the locals can’t help but bestow them with the title of ‘mountain’. Holyhead Mountain is one such example, rising to 720 feet (220 m) as the highest point not only on Holy Island, but the whole of Anglesey… read more