These routes need YOU! Priority routes in Scotland, England and Wales right now

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Will we connect all of Britain’s 70 cities with verified routes before the end of summer?

Slow Ways is an inter-town network, joining up 2500 settlements across the whole of Britain. So what’s this intercity network we’re on about? It’s a skeleton network of priority routes chosen to join all of the official cities to each other. Getting it all verified gives us a good milestone to aim for in this huge national project, it joins up the most populous places, and it creates long trails to many corners of the country.

The maps below show the brilliant progress we are making with it.

The intercity network includes 985 individual Slow Ways routes averaging 13km (8 miles) each. 61% are triple-checked, verified and shown in purple. It is possible to walk verified routes from Edinburgh to Plymouth. Edinburgh to Plymouth!

You can explore the intercity map here, with links to all of the routes. Or scroll down for links to the top priority routes.

The routes on the map are current choices. If routes fail or better options become available we’ll swap them in. If you are looking to walk and review a route, do make sure it’s the best possible option.

Thanks to call-outs in recent newsletters Liverpool, Chester, Wrexham, Bradford, Cambridge and Ely are all better connected to the inter-city network.

We’d love your help to connect more places. 

How can I help?

Have you walked the Great Glen recently? You might be able to verify these three (123) routes between Fort Augustus and Fort William! 

Or have you explored West Highland Way or Loch Lomond and the Trossachs? You might be able to review and verify one of these five (12345) routes between Milngavie and Tyndrum. 

Here are lots more targeted suggestions! Could you walk review any of these? Do you know anyone nearby who might be able to help?

Scotland

  1. Bo’ness to Linlithglow (1 review needed)
  2. Winchburgh to Queensbury (2 reviews needed)
  3. Grangemouth to Polmont (2 reviews needed)
  4. Falkirk to Grangemouth (2 reviews needed)
  5. Stirling to Bannockburn (1 review needed)
  6. Larbet to Falkirk (2 reviews needed)
  7. Perth to Dundee (2 reviews needed)
  8. Dunfermline to Kinross (3 reviews needed)

Wales

  1. St Asaph to Caerwys (3 reviews needed)
  2. Caerwys to Mold (3 reviews needed)
  3. Mold to Wrexham (3 reviews needed)
The Swansea to Port Talbot route has been on the priority list for a while, and was verified a few days ago. Welcome to the intercity network, Swansea!

England 

  1. Garstang to Abbeystead (1 review needed)
  2. Grantham to Sleaford (2 reviews needed)
  3. Newark on Trent to North Hykenham (2 reviews needed)
  4. Sutton on Trent to North Hykenham (2 reviews needed)
  5. Newent to Gloucester (3 reviews needed)
  6. Melton Mowbray to Oakham (2 reviews needed)
  7. Bognor to Littlehampton (2 reviews needed)
  8. Chichester to Bognor (1 review needed)
  9. Maldon to Tiptree (2 reviews needed)
  10. Tiptree to Colchester (2 reviews needed)
  11. Bursledon to Locks Heath (2 reviews needed)
  12. Tewkesbury to Bishop’s Cleeve (2 reviews needed)

If you are in another part of the country and want help choosing a good route to walk and review, you can join our Discord forum and ask on the ‘welcome’ channel. There are volunteers there to find out what length and challenge level you want from your walk, and they can help choose a route near you to get you started.

Slow Ways
Slow Ways is an initiative to create a national network of walking routes connecting all of Great Britain’s towns and cities as well as thousands of villages. It’s designed to make it easier for people to imagine, plan and go on walking journeys, walking further and for more purposes.