Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of
rights of way that permits easy access to the countryside. Access is also easy in Scotland but not in
Northern Ireland.
Walking is used in the United Kingdom to describe a range of activity, from a walk in the park to trekking in the
Alps. The word "
hiking" is used in the UK, but less often than walking; the word
rambling is also used, and the main organisation that supports walking is called
The Ramblers. Walking in mountainous areas in the UK is called
hillwalking, or in
Northern England, including the
Lake District and
Yorkshire Dales, fellwalking, from the dialect word
fell, for high, uncultivated land. Mountain walking can sometimes involve
scrambling.