A visually pleasing circular climb and descent from Settle town centre. Theres some excellent limestone scenery to be seen, passing Atamire and Great Scar, in addition to some stunning views towards The Three Peaks.

The Settle Loop is one of the first sections of the new Pennine Bridleway to be opened, which when completed will  total 350 miles of packhorse routes, bridleways and drove roads connecting Derbyshire to Northumberland.

We recon this route works well only in one direction. Use the tarmac to climb, then the descent back to your start point is all off-road and downhill. The route is well signposted (look for the acorn logo), you can also get a route map from the tourist information office in Settle (or download one from here).

The ridings pleasant enough, although pretty unchallenging but the views are spectacular.  In terms of terrain, the last two miles are the most fun, with some fast steep sections and natural jumps. It’s a popular walk too, so watch out for other users. 

Best avoided on a weekend if you like your own space.