Route

The route begins at Lizard Point, then follows the South West Coastal Path, via Land's End to Barnstaple. It crosses Exmoor, the Quantocks, Somerset Levels & Mendips to Bristol. After Chepstow, by bridge, there is a choice of two routes to Coalbrookdale: EITHER the Welsh-English border (Offa's Dyke Path) to Knighton then across Shropshire & Wenlock Edge; OR the Gloucestershire Way & Severn valley. From Coalbrookdale it crosses Staffordshire & the Peak District, joining the "Alternative" Pennine Way between Ashbourne & Hebden Bridge. The official Pennine Way is followed to Jedburgh before crossing the Scottish lowlands & Central belt to Drymen. In the Trossachs the route passes through Callandar & Killin, before crossing the edge of Rannoch Moor to Spean Bridge. Then it's mostly camping in the Northern Highlands, passing a few miles South of Ullapool before turning Eastwards towards Oykel Bridge. In the "Flow Country",  there's another choice of routes around Loch Shin: via Cask or Lairg (more road walking). The route reaches the East coast South of John O'Groats. One more day Westwards & the route finishes at Dunnet Head.

Route showing Offa's Dyke and Lairg variants

or view the Google maps zoomable route map

Distances & times
The summary plan, lists each daily stage with estimated distance and time.  For the Offa's Dyke route this reaches a total distance of 1313 miles, with ascent of 57 Km over 85 walking days. The Severn Valley variant a touch less at 1292 miles , 55 Km.

The route in sections
Using the general plan of Andy Robinson's "The End to End Trail" (ARE2ET), there are seven sections. The links below have daily distances, ascent, time for each section.

Accommodation for each planned overnight & intermediates

Section 1:The South West Coast Path

• Getting to Lizard Point
• Lizard Point to Land's End
• Land's End to Barnstaple - small variations on the ARE2ET

Section 2: The Bristol Channel 

Barnstaple to Chepstow: A hybrid of ARE2ET and Adam's walk, with modifications, to Bristol.

Section 3: Chepstow to Coalbrookdale 

The two planned alternatives are:

Section 3B: The Welsh Border & Shropshire (currently preferred)

      Offa's Dyke, Craven Arms, Much Wenlock, Coalbrookdale - (as ARE2ET)

Or Section 3A: The Severn Valley (in case of poor forecast on Welsh mountains)

    Gloucestershire Way, Worcestershire Way, Severn Valley Way, Coalbrookdale

Section 4: Staffordshire & the Peak

• Coalbrookdale to Mankinholes, from where the route joins the Pennine Way (as ARE2ET)

Section 5: The Pennines and Cheviots

• Mankinholes to Jedburgh on the Pennine Way (as ARE2ET)

Section 6: Southern and Central Scotland

• Jedburgh to Drymen (as ARE2ET)
• Drymen to Spean Bridge via Callendar, Killin, Loch Rannoch, Corrour

Section 7: The Northern Highlands and the Flow Country

• Spean Bridge to John O'Groats, (mostly ARE2ET), then Dunnet's Head
• Choice of routes between Oykel Bridge to Loch Choire
• A final walk to Thurso 
• Getting home!

Section 7A: Great Glen Way and John O' Groats Trail

• Spean Bridge to JOG via teh Great Glen and East Coast North of Inverness

Planning spreadsheet

The full End-to-End planning spreadsheet includes additional accommodation links, often at intermediate locations to the lists above.