Walking Around Britain: Coastal Path Guide

Introduction

Today, 19 March 2026, the King Charles III England Coast Path is officially inaugurated - completing (mostly) the world's longest managed coastal trail at approximately 2,700 miles around the entire English coastline.

Combined with the Wales Coast Path (870 miles, fully open since 2012) and Scotland's network of established coastal paths, it is now possible to walk the entire coast of mainland Britain - a continuous journey of approximately 4,500+ miles.

Whether you're planning a weekend section walk or dreaming of the full circuit, PitStopper is the perfect companion. Upload GPX files for any section and instantly discover water points, cafes, toilets, camping, and shops along your route - everything you need to plan your next coastal adventure.

King Charles III England Coast Path

• Distance: ~2,700 miles (4,345 km)
• Status: Inaugurated 19 March 2026. Approximately 70% fully open, with remaining sections completing throughout 2026
• History: Work began in 2009. Seventeen years and over 1,000 miles of newly created path later, England now has a continuous trail around its entire coastline
• Route: A complete loop around the English coast - from the Scottish border at Gretna in the west, down through the Lake District, Cornwall, along the south coast, up through East Anglia and Yorkshire, to the Scottish border at Berwick-upon-Tweed in the east

Highlights along the route: Durdle Door and the Jurassic Coast, the White Cliffs of Dover, Bamburgh Castle, the Norfolk Broads, St Ives, Whitby Abbey, Holkham Beach, the Seven Sisters, and hundreds more.

Regional Sections

The England Coast Path is divided into regional sections, each with its own character and challenges:

GPX files for each regional section are available from the National Trails website. Each trail information page includes downloadable GPX data that you can load directly into PitStopper.

Tip: The South West section incorporates the existing South West Coast Path - Britain's longest National Trail at 630 miles. This section alone passes through Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset, with over 35,000 metres of ascent. It's widely considered one of the finest long-distance walks in the world.

Wales Coast Path

• Distance: 870 miles (1,400 km)
• Status: Fully open since May 2012 - Wales was the first country in the world to have a complete, waymarked coastal path
• Route: Chester (north) to Chepstow (south), tracing the entire Welsh coastline
• Sections: 57 stages across 9 logical sections

Highlights: The Pembrokeshire Coast (a National Park in its own right), the Gower Peninsula (Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Anglesey's dramatic cliffs, and the coastline beneath Snowdonia's mountains.

The Wales Coast Path is exceptionally well-maintained and waymarked. Combined with the Offa's Dyke Path along the English border, it forms a complete circuit of Wales - roughly 1,030 miles.

GPX downloads for the Wales Coast Path are available from several sources including walkingclub.org.uk and guidebook publishers like Cicerone.

Scotland's Coastal Paths

Scotland doesn't have a single continuous coastal path - and that's by design. Much of Scotland's coastline is genuinely wild land, and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code gives walkers the right to roam responsibly across most land. However, several established long-distance paths trace spectacular sections of the coast:

• Fife Coastal Path - 117 miles (188 km), Kincardine to Newburgh. A well-waymarked trail past fishing villages, castles, and the university town of St Andrews
• Berwickshire Coastal Path - 30 miles (48 km). Dramatic cliffs and secluded coves along the Scottish-English border
• Ayrshire Coastal Path - 92 miles (148 km). Views across to Arran and Ailsa Craig, with links to Robert Burns country
• Arran Coastal Way - 65 miles (105 km). A circular route around the Isle of Arran - "Scotland in miniature"
• Scottish National Trail - 864 km total (partly coastal). A route linking existing trails from Kirk Yetholm to Cape Wrath

GPX files for Scottish paths are available from walkhighlands.co.uk and scotlandsgreattrails.com.

Note: Scotland's coastal walking can be remote, especially in the Highlands and Islands. Mobile signal may be limited, weather changes quickly, and some sections require careful tide timing. Always carry a paper map and compass as backup.

The Complete Circuit - Walking All of Britain

With the England Coast Path now open, the three nations' coastal paths connect to form a continuous route around mainland Britain:

• England-Wales join (north): Chester - the England Coast Path's North West section meets the northern end of the Wales Coast Path
• England-Wales join (south): Chepstow/Sedbury - the Wales Coast Path's southern end connects to the English coast at the Severn Estuary
• England-Scotland join (east): Berwick-upon-Tweed - the England Coast Path's North East section meets the Berwickshire Coastal Path
• England-Scotland join (west): Gretna - the England Coast Path's North West section begins at the Scottish border

Combined distance: approximately 4,500+ miles (7,200+ km) around the entire coast of mainland Britain.

To put that in perspective: if you walked 15 miles a day - a reasonable pace for coastal walking with a pack - it would take approximately 300 days. At 20 miles a day, you're looking at around 225 days. Most people who walk the full circuit take 10-12 months, factoring in rest days, weather delays, and the occasional diversion inland.

Planning with PitStopper

A walk of this scale - or even a single weekend section - requires careful logistics. This is exactly what PitStopper was built for. Here's how to use it for coastal path planning:

1. Download GPX files for your chosen section from the links in the reference table below
2. Upload to PitStopper - drag and drop or use the file picker
3. Search for POIs along your route:
   • Water points - drinking water taps, fountains, and public water sources
   • Cafes, pubs, and restaurants - essential refuelling stops
   • Toilets and public facilities - surprisingly important on multi-day walks
   • Camping sites and accommodation - wild camping, campsites, hostels, B&Bs
   • Convenience stores - for food resupply between towns
   • Pharmacies and medical facilities - for blister treatment and other first aid needs
4. Export enhanced GPX with POI waypoints to your GPS device or phone app
5. Print route reports with distance markers and POI lists for each day's walk

Tip: Use PitStopper's distance filter to show only POIs within 100m or 500m of the trail. Coastal paths often pass close to towns but not through them - the filter helps you identify which facilities are genuinely accessible without a long detour.

GPX Download Links

Here's a summary of where to find GPX files for each path:

England Coast Path

Wales Coast Path

Scotland