Mountain Magic

On this British equivalent you’ll not encounter any 10,000ft-plus alpine summits. Nevertheless, I maintain our constantly-changing mountain landscapes cannot be bettered anywhere else in Europe.

Though the tour’s length, 1,498 miles, is almost identical to the French route, the latter cannot match the variety of mountainous scenery in Britain: myriad horizon-filling vistas; majestic sea-scapes; dramatic coastlines; eye-soothing vales and dales; endless broadleaved woodlands; burgeoning burns and regal rivers; lochs, llyns and lakes of all types; remote wilderness and moorland; and scores of attractive villages where houses are a visual roll-call of our richly-varied geology.

Surprisingly, too, the culinary pleasures at most of my 50 hotel recommendations are more than a match for their French equivalents. An asterisk (*) highlights where cooking is of an especially high standard.

The run bypasses cities and big towns and includes detours to 27 scenic and man-made wonders. Allow at least 3 to 7 days for each section. You’ll need a good motoring atlas with a scale of 2¼ - 4¾ miles to the inch. I also strongly recommend Michelin’s superb red guide for Great Britain & Ireland.