The South West Coastal Path is the longest National Trail in the UK, and its full 630 miles is off-putting to most recreational walkers. This carefully selected section from St Ives to Penzance provides a superb taster experience that readily fits inside one week. Enjoy some of the UK's finest coastal scenery including around Land's End, its wild south-western extreme. This part of Cornwall is surprisingly accessible by mainline railway, and it offers plenty of charming places to stay and eat. The book includes an option to complete the circuit inland by St Michael's Way, and also a side-trip by tidal causeway to St Michael's Mount. The detailed route description is enhanced by background on Cornwall's geology, history and culture.Lavishly illustrated, the book has 80+ colour photos and 15 pages carrying detailed route mapping (1:35,000). It is in a slim pocket-friendly format and, like all Rucksack Reader guidebooks, printed on rainproof paper.

The book is an account of a journey using local service buses from Lands End in the deepest south west of England up to John OGroats in the far north east of Scotland. With the issue of free bus passes to all British citizens over the age of sixty, the author decided to maximise the use of his in undertaking this 1,230 mile trip. By way of being different, the author decided to take with him, his dog Archie, a Jack Russell / cairn terrier cross, as he too enjoys travelling. The book is not just a travel log across and up the length of Britain, but includes much historical and general information of towns and cities visited with time taken at the various stop-over points to look around and explore. In addition to the exploits of the authors dog, the book contains his thoughts and observations during the journey. Some of these are referred to as Rants made on the authors own admission as being a grumpy old man. The detailed planning and preparation of the trip is explained that deliberately took in many historic towns and cities. From Penzance, the route traverses England through Exeter, Bath Oxford, Leicester, Lincoln and then across the Humber and up the east coast by Scarborough, Durham, Newcastle and onto Berwick before crossing the border into Scotland. From here on, the bus journey followed the east coast through Edinburgh, over the Firth of Forth to Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Dornoch and Wick before reaching their final destination at John OGroats. The book has been written in a light vein and contains an element of humour. Hopefully, the reader will become a little more knowledgeable about this historic and beautiful island of ours by the end. It is certainly true that travel does broaden the mind.