19 brilliant autumn walks, from coastal walks in Country Antrim, to red squirrels in Dorset

England

Boscastle, Cornwall

Best for… stunning scenery

This 6.4km route starts in Boscastle, a postcard-pretty old fishing harbour. The walk itself is gorgeous, mixing stretches of wild cliff path with the magical, mossy woodland of the tucked-away Valency Valley. You can walk it.

Clovelly, Devon

Best for… fewer people

Cute hill-tumbling Clovelly will be free of its summer hordes by now, making it a good time to tackle this 8.3km loop on which you can detour to the thatch-and-cobble village. The walk also passes through Brownsham Moors, the Culm Grasslands and crunchy clifftop woodland, where the trees will be on the turn and critters will be foraging for winter stores.

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Brownsea Island, Dorset

Best for… Red squirrels

Floating in the middle of Poole Harbour, Brownsea Island is home to more than 200 rare red squirrels, which are best seen in autumn when they are busy hoarding for winter. You can look for them on a 1.6km self-guided route around the island.

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Bembridge, Isle of Wight

Best for… accessible history

The 2.9km Fine Fortifications trail explores history-rich Bembridge and Culver Downs and offers views over Sandown Bay and Brading Haven. It’s wheelchair-accessible too.

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Seven Sisters, East Sussex

Best for… woods and waves

Find the best of both worlds on this classic 13km circuit. It combines the rolling Seven Sisters cliffs – one of England’s most striking coastlines – with the beautiful beech woods of Friston Forest, a gem in autumn. Start from Exceat, East Dean or Birling Gap – all have parking and pubs.

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Minsmere & Dunwich Heath, Suffolk

Best for… diverse nature

There’s a lot packed into this 8km loop in the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB. Start at the Eel’s Foot pub in Eastbridge. Walk to the sea to trace the coastal edge of RSPB Minsmere, looking for migrating birds. Then climb onto Dunwich Heath, keeping an eye and ear out for fungi, flowering gorse and rutting deer.

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Sheringham, Norfolk

Best for… trees and seas

Combine rising clifftops, woodlands and medieval priory ruins on this 11km loop from seaside Sheringham Park. Laid out by landscape designer Humphry Repton in the early 19th century, the park is a diverse delight of trees, deer-grazed meadows, heathland and follies – climb up Repton’s Gazebo for one of the best views along the whole Norfolk coast.

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Chapel Point, Lincolnshire

Best for… big skies

The enormous skies and sea breezes of Lincolnshire’s Coastal Country Park offer the perfect autumn refresher. Start from the North Sea Observatory at Chapel Point (which has a cafe and is open year round) and head northward to Anderby Creek. Look out from the cloud-viewing platform and quirky bird hide, then return to Chapel Point via a long, golden, unspoiled swathe of sand.

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Whitby-Staithes, North Yorkshire

Best for… fish suppers

Tackle this 18.5km stretch of the North York Moors National Park on a blustery day and you’ll have earned your fish ‘n’ chips. Fortunately, there are welcoming pubs at both ends (and en route) to offer sustenance; there are also raw cliffs, sweeping bays, wheeling seabirds and beaches.

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Arnside Knott, Cumbria

Best for… bay views

The 2.7km Arnside Knott Circular is a short walk with big views. And it’s especially lovely in autumn, when the mixed woodland becomes a patchwork of orange and green, mushrooms bloom, leaves crunch, morning mists hang in the valleys and views to the Lake District and across Morecambe Bay are magical.

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Wales

Dale, Pembrokeshire

Best for… seafood

Make a refreshing 10.6km circuit of the wild, Atlantic-bashed Dale Peninsula. This route hugs the craggy coast, via red sandstone cliffs, wooded slopes, St Ann’s Head lighthouse and wheeling seabirds. Back in Dale village, book a table at the Griffin while you can – one of Pembrokeshire’s best seafood spots, it closes in mid-November for the winter.

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Laugharne, Carmarthenshire

Best for… poetry

Now is the ideal time to make a Welsh literary pilgrimage. Head to Laugharne to retrace Dylan Thomas’s birthday walk (immortalised in “Poem in October”). Follow a 7km figure-of-eight trail, taking in his Boathouse home (now a museum), the church where he’s buried and the summit of St John’s Hill, for stirring views across the Taf estuary to the sea.

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Llangrannog, Ceredigion

Best for… serenity

The tiny, cliff-squeezed village of Llangrannog is lovely – but a nightmare in summer, when cars fight to fit down its steep, narrow roads to access the beautiful beach. So, save this 7.2km loop walk for the quieter shoulder season instead when you’re more likely to have the sandy bay, coast path, country lanes and car parks to yourself.

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Scotland

Aberlady Bay, East Lothian

Best for… Geese

Created in 1952, Aberlady Bay was Britain’s first Local Nature Reserve. And it’s a stunner, encompassing a wild swathe of salt marsh, mudflats, dunes and dazzling sand on the Firth of Forth. Make a 9km loop to the golden beaches at Gullane Point, returning via the ruins of Saltcoats Castle. In autumn you might spot 30,000-odd pink-footed geese, which pause here on their winter migration.

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Roseisle, Moray

Best for… family fun

The coastal forest of Roseisle has a little bit of everything, perfect for keeping the whole family occupied. Follow an easy 3.5km route to discover remnants of old ice houses and Second World War pillboxes, a fragrant pine forest (where you might see woodpeckers and red squirrels) and a glorious beach that is excellent for spotting seabirds.

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Tobermory, Isle of Mull

Best for… colours

Prepare to be dazzled in more ways than one on this easy 5.5km walk from the comely capital of Mull. Starting near the rainbow-bright cottages fronting Tobermory Harbour, the route then leads into Aros Park, a magical mix of lush evergreens and fiery deciduous trees. The route passes small cascades and loops Loch a Ghurrabain, where the autumn colours reflect in the still waters.

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Eriskay, Outer Hebrides

Best for… royal connections

As we welcome in King Charles III, take a wind-whipped walk back in time with a royal namesake. This 5km loop around the northwest of small, rugged Eriskay traverses the blinding-white beach where Bonnie Prince Charlie first landed in Scotland in 1745. It also ascends a small hill for fine island views. Warm up en route at the Am Politician Bar, named for a local shipwreck.

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Northern Ireland

Murlough Nature Reserve, County Down

Best for… coffee

In 2022 the Barista Bar at SPAR Brennans in Dundrum won the Walk NI award for serving the best hot drinks close to a trail. And a cuppa is just what you’ll need after a bracing walk through Murlough Nature Reserve. Follow the 4km Murlough Nature Trail through the dunes to the beach, for incredible views of the Mourne Mountains and Dundrum Castle en route.

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Causeway Coast, County Antrim

Best for… mussels

The 20km hike between Ballintoy and Bushmills isn’t just one of the best coast walks for autumn. It’s one of the best coast walks full stop. This is the most show-stopping stretch of the Causeway Coast, spanning beautiful beaches, dramatic clifftops and the Giant’s Causeway itself. Reward your efforts at Ballintoy’s Fullerton Arms, renowned for its Strangford rope mussels (best Oct-March) and warming whiskies.

Walk it.