A Paddy Dillon guide to walking The Pennine Way, Britain's first National Trail, from Edale, Derbyshire, England to Kirk Yetholm, Scotland, backpacking through the Peak District, South and North Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland, the Cheviots and the Borders. The Pennine Way was the first long-distance path to be created in Britain, back in 1965. It traverses the 'backbone of England', striving to stay high on the moors, yet dropping down to delightful little towns and villages each evening. It has always been a popular trail, rightly regarded as a challenge, running higher and wilder than any other National Trail. Several hundred thousand walkers have walked its 435 kilometers (270 miles) from Derbyshire to the Scottish Borders. On its way from Edale to Kirk Yetholm, the route passes through three national parks and a huge Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Although much of the landscape is high and wild, the route is well provided with accommodation and refreshment stops, in the charming villages in the valley bottoms.