We’re lucky in Britain that our seasons are so wonderfully defined; each one quite distinct from its predecessor due to the colour of the leaves on the trees, the abundance of native flowers and the low-lying mist on the ground.
It would be difficult to choose a favourite season, even the tumultuous grey skies of late autumn, the withering heat of summer and the frozen ground of mid-winter have their charms – but there’s something about spring; this awakening of nature after its sleepy hibernation and regeneration of flora and fauna.
Getting outside and enjoying Britain in the springtime is a great pleasure and we’ve put together a selection of fantastic spring walks courtesy of Ordnance Survey’s mapping & navigation app, OS Maps.
Get half-price digital OS Maps! Trail and Country Walking magazine members get 50% off an annual subscription to OS Maps for 12 months! Find out more here.
Three great springtime walks with OS Maps
The Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye (4.8 miles/2hrs 37mins)
This spot absolutely emphasises the variety in British landscape. About as far removed as you can get from pretty gardens, this Inner Hebridean scenery is craggy, rocky and dramatic. Fans tend to explore the zig zagging Trotternish Ridge, which at 23 miles is the longest cliff in the country. As the ridge faces inland, it offers incredible views of the Highlands, right up as far as Ben Nevis.
Farndale, North Yorkshire (3.4 miles/1hrs 19mins)
An enduring symbol of spring – if not the symbol – is the delicate daffodil, and one of the best places to see them is Farndale in the North York Moors National Park. Said to have been originally planted by medieval monks, the area is so famed for the yellow blooms that it’s known as the ‘Daffodil Dale’.
Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Peninsula (8.9 miles/3hrs 31mins)
Apparently named by opera star Katherine Jenkins as one of the best British views, Three Cliffs Bay in Gower is the perfect springtime destination, where (if it’s warm enough), you can paddle in the sea or clamber over the headland to seek out juicy fresh raspberries.
Paths cut across the sand dunes to both Pennard Burrows and Penmaen Burrows, from which you can enjoy not only the sight of the golden bay but also the wilderness of natural flowers and grasses that grow when the winter months finally shuffle off.