Princetown, Dartmoor National Park

This walk undulates past a whole heap of tors, those unique piles of rocks that characterise Dartmoor's uplands and from which there are superb views.

Starting in Princetown, famed for its jail and the highest town in Devon, you head west up to the rough peak of King's Tor, from where there are marvellous views across Walkham valley and the meadowlands of south-east Cornwall. From here, walk south across rough grassland and bracken to Sharpitor for yet more excellent views as far south as Plymouth Sound before continuing on to Leather Tor and more fine panoramas.

You then descend to the Meavy valley and cross a granite slab bridge close to the dark waters of Burritor reservoir before clambering eastwards and upwards to Down Tor, then down again past Cuckoo Rock and up once more to Combshead Tor, from where you'll clearly see your next objective, Eylesbarrow.

Once up here you'll notice two bronze-age burial mounds, a more modern boundary marker and a classic Dartmoor panorama spread out before you - high, rugged moorland dotted with broken-cragged tors and bucolic lowlands in between.

Heading north you stroll up one last tor, South Hessary and then back down into Princetown.

Distance: 12 miles.
Time: 6-7 hours.
Grade: Easy.
Map: OS Landrangers (1:50,000) 191 & 202.

Presili Hills, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Part of this route dates back 5,000 years, following the Golden Road, an ancient Neolithic track along which the "bluestones" quarried from these hills were transported to Stonehenge.

Starting from the village of Rosebush, head northeast up the steep and well-marked footpath alongside Pantmaenog forest to the summit of Foel Cymcerwyn, at 536m the highest point in Pembrokeshire.

It's a stiff climb, but the views from the summit are exceptional - on a clear day you can see all the way from Snowdonia in the north to the Gower peninsula in the south-east. If it's exceptionally clear, and especially if you have binoculars, you'll also be able to make out Exmoor and Ireland's Wicklow hills - quite a panorama for a region not known for its uplands.

From Foel Cwmcerwyn, descend north until you pick up the western end of the Golden Road, and, treading in the footsteps of druids, King Arthur and his knights, plod west through boggy ground until you come to a turn off into the forest.

From here it's an easy descent on fire roads back to Rosebush, where only a fool would miss out on the chance to sink a pint in the atmospheric Tafarn Sinc.

Distance: 6 miles.
Time: 3 hours.
Grade: Easy.
Map: OS Outdoor Leisure (1:25,000) Sheet 35.

Edale, Peak District National Park

You can't fail to notice on this walk how effectively the local geology impacts on the landscapes you see from the various viewpoints en route. To the north is the classic millstone grit terrain of peat hags and boggy heather moorland, while to the south are more pastoral scenes of rolling green patchwork fields overlaying carboniferous limestone (try to avoid gazing for too long at the eyesore of Castleton cement works).

Starting from Hope village, take the steep path to the summit of 462m Win Hill, from where there's a breezy tramp along the skyline of Hope Brink to the sheltered, narrow valley of Jaggers Clough. From there, you clamber upwards again on to the edge of wild and windswept Kinder.

Head southwest from here to the cheerfully named ridge of Ringing Roger, from where you drop down into Edale. Then it's another steep slog up to the ridge between 507m Mam Tor and Lose Hill, eventually arriving at the summit of Lose Hill (476m) where great views are to be had once more, in particular of Castleton and surroundings, before rolling downhill all the way back to Hope.

Distance: 11 miles.
Time: 5-6 hours.
Grade: Moderate.
Map: OS Outdoor Leisure (1:25,000) Sheet 1.

Lord's Seat, Lake District

Located in the northwest of the lakes, Lord's Seat (552m) is a modest peak that rises above Whinlatter forest and provides marvellous views of this relatively quiet corner of the national park.

From the car park at Spout Force (on the B5292), you head northeast into the forest, skirting Darling How and then clambering up on to Ullister hill for fine views northwest across to the walk's eventual high point of Lord's Seat.

Continuing on to Seat How, equally inspiring views open up to the south-east before you turn north for the summit of Barf, which will no doubt prompt witticisms galore, as will the whitewashed rock pinnacle on the summit known as the Bishop of Barf. Wisecracks over, take time to admire the views across to Skiddaw before an easy ridge walk to Lord's Seat and even better 360-degree views of much of northwest Lakeland.

You're up above the forest here and set for the next leg of the walk to Broom Fell, after which you descend back into the woodland before a little more climbing up to Graystones and then Kirk Fell. This is the final peak before eventually dropping back down into the forest and returning to the start point.

Distance: 9 miles.
Time: 5-6 hours.
Grade: Easy.
Map: OS Outdoor Leisure (1:25,000) Sheet 4.

Ben Lomond, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Ben Lomond has at least three "firsts" to its name: as you travel north from Glasgow it's the first "real" mountain you come to; it's also the first Munro (summit over 3,000ft) you come to; and it's located within Scotland's first national park, designated in 2002.

This walk will certainly burn off all your Christmas excesses because it involves around 3,000ft of climbing, and bearing in mind the capriciousness of Scotland's winter weather, if you're in any doubts about what the elements have in store or your ability to deal with them, best give it a miss.

However, for those who decide to take it on, the views are more than worth the strain and the route is easy to follow. From Rowardennan Lodge on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond, take the signposted "Ben Lomond Path" as it climbs first through forestry, then across open moorland, zig-zagging its way to the top of the mountain.

As you get your breath back on the summit, look around and it'll seem like half of Scotland lies before you. It's not quite that much, of course, but you still get spectacular views as far south as the Clyde estuary and the Borders, while to the north a hazy blue line of mountains fades into the distance like a gigantic ocean swell.

The descent is simply a case of going back the way you came, and you have wide panoramas to enjoy for most of it.

Distance: 4 miles.
Time: 4-5 hours.
Grade: Hard - experienced hill walkers only. In winter snows, you may well require crampons and an ice axe.
Map: OS Landranger (1:50,000) Sheet 56.