Darren Flint – författare

Much quieter than the nearby Lake District. This book features 40 short walks exploring the best the area has to offer. Look one way and marvel at the majesty of The Lake District's magnificent peaks, the other to find tranquil sea views of the Isle of Man and Southern Scotland (weather permitting).

Part of Bradt's distinctive, award-winning series of 'Slow' travel guides to UK regions, the new, extensively updated third edition of Dumfries & Galloway (Slow Travel) is the sole full-blown guidebook to this beguiling southwest corner of Scotland. With intimate detail and insider tips from two southern Scotland experts, it reveals one of the country's best-kept secrets through lively descriptions, historical anecdotes and hand-picked accommodation recommendations.Dumfries and Galloway is ever more alluring to discerning visitors in search of grand views, peace and isolation, bustling harbourside towns, craft shops and galleries, cafés and restaurants, mountains and coast, wildlife and outdoor pursuits. all ingredients for a successful UK break. Even the weather defies expectation, the far west being warmed by the Gulf Stream so gardens harbour palm trees and southern hemisphere plants. The region is explored in depth, from Eskdale in the east to Scotland's southern tip at the Mull of Galloway, via Annandale, Nithsdale, Dumfries, The Stewartry, The Machars and Moors, and The Rhins. Visit Scotland's highest village (with the country's highest micro-brewery) in the morning, a deserted sandy beach in the afternoon, and a Dark Sky Park, gazing at the stars, in the evening. Wildlife lovers will be in their element as all of Scotland's 'big five' iconic species can be seen: golden eagle, red squirrel, harbour seal, red deer and European otter. In the surrounding waters look out for minke whales, harbour porpoise and dolphins, while Caerlaverock at the eastern end of the region plays host each year to the staggering annual spectacle of thousands of barnacle geese settling on the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve. Human-related curiosities complement natural wonder. Samye Ling was the first Tibetan monastery established in the west; the Famous Blacksmith's Shop at Gretna Green still hosts a thousand marriages a year - and not just eloping couples either; Hallmuir Chapel is a WWII Ukrainian place of worship in the Dumfriesshire Dales; and Dumfries itself contains the house where Robert Burns, Scotland's national bard, spent his last three years. Whatever your interest, Bradt's Dumfries & Galloway (Slow Travel) is the ideal companion for a successful trip.

Part of Bradt's distinctive, award-winning series of 'Slow' travel guides to UK regions, the new, extensively updated third edition of Dumfries & Galloway (Slow Travel) is the sole full-blown guidebook to this beguiling southwest corner of Scotland. With intimate detail and insider tips from two southern Scotland experts, it reveals one of the country's best-kept secrets through lively descriptions, historical anecdotes and hand-picked accommodation recommendations.Dumfries and Galloway is ever more alluring to discerning visitors in search of grand views, peace and isolation, bustling harbourside towns, craft shops and galleries, cafes and restaurants, mountains and coast, wildlife and outdoor pursuits all ingredients for a successful UK break. Even the weather defies expectation, the far west being warmed by the Gulf Stream so gardens harbour palm trees and southern hemisphere plants. The region is explored in depth, from Eskdale in the east to Scotland s southern tip at the Mull of Galloway, via Annandale, Nithsdale, Dumfries, The Stewartry, The Machars and Moors, and The Rhins. Visit Scotland s highest village (with the country s highest micro-brewery) in the morning, a deserted sandy beach in the afternoon, and a Dark Sky Park, gazing at the stars, in the evening. Wildlife lovers will be in their element as all of Scotland s big five iconic species can be seen: golden eagle, red squirrel, harbour seal, red deer and European otter. In the surrounding waters look out for minke whales, harbour porpoise and dolphins, while Caerlaverock at the eastern end of the region plays host each year to the staggering annual spectacle of thousands of barnacle geese settling on the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve. Human-related curiosities complement natural wonder. Samye Ling was the first Tibetan monastery established in the west; the Famous Blacksmith s Shop at Gretna Green still hosts a thousand marriages a year and not just eloping couples either; Hallmuir Chapel is a WWII Ukrainian place of worship in the Dumfriesshire Dales; and Dumfries itself contains the house where Robert Burns, Scotland s national bard, spent his last three years. Whatever your interest, Bradt s Dumfries & Galloway (Slow Travel) is the ideal companion for a successful trip.

Suffolk has long been a place of retreat, somewhere to escape to, far from everyday life. It may have its busier town centres, but in the main Suffolk remains a rural area of enormous variety , from heather covered heathland to softly rolling hills, long shingle spits to genteel coastal enclaves and kiss-me-quick seaside resorts. Whether you are looking for a morning hike or an afternoon stroll, Darren Flint and Donald Grieg's hand picked selection of 40 walks is guaranteed to fit the bill - or the boot. Suffolk boasts 5600km of public rights of way; take your pick, put your best foot forward and discover this most gentle of English counties.

The three Dumfriesshire dales of Nithsdale, Annandale and Eskdale are a rural playground of heatherclad hills, linns with tumbling waterfalls, babbling rivers and evershifting merse and firth. Despite being bisected by the main road into England, these dales were known more intimately by the discerning Victorians than they are today. Time, then, to rediscover the charms of this peaceful corner of Scotland. Whether it's a morning exploring the country's highest village, an afternoon paddling the shores of the Solway or an evening gazing at star-filled skies, Darren Flint and Donald Greig;'s hand-picked selection of 40 walks reveals what it is that makes this unassuming part of the world so special.

Bedfordshire may be one of England's smaller counties, often passed through rather than explored, but it rewards closer inspection with a surprising range of scenery and historical significance. Criss-crossed with ancient tracks, canal towpaths and green lanes, the county's varied terrain offers walkers of all abilities opportunity to explore its many sights: bustling towns and thatched villages, stately homes like Woburn Abbey and Wrest Park, not to mention wartime airfields, open heath and panoramic ridges. Whether tracing the River Great Ouse, climbing the Dunstable Downs or following the Greensand Ridge, each route in this guide reveals a county of beguiling charm.