As Scotland’s Isle of Arran joins the ranks of UNESCO Global Geoparks, it is a timely reminder that the UK and Ireland are home to some of the most extraordinary wild spaces and protected places on Earth. From ancient peat bogs and towering mountain peaks to marine sanctuaries and legendary islands, these landscapes are not only stunningly beautiful but also culturally rich and ecologically significant.

Below are just a few of these wild places where award-winning brands Wilderness Scotland, Wilderness England, and Wilderness Ireland offer small group guided journeys that invite travelers to experience these amazing places slowly, meaningfully, and sustainably.

SCOTLAND

The Isle of Arran: Nicknamed “Scotland in Miniature,” Arran was officially announced as a UNESCO Global Geopark this past April, the 10^th such park in the UK. With its variety of rock types and structures, vast archaeological and geological heritage, and array of habitats with an equally diverse range of plant and wildlife that benefit from the landscape and underlying geology, Arran is a truly unique place to visit.

Wilderness Scotland offers the Arran: Scotland in Miniature small group guided hiking tour that spends an unforgettable week exploring this beautiful island, discovering its many instances of natural beauty. Having been continuously inhabited since the early Neolithic period, Arran’s history, heritage, and culture run deep, with a landscape peppered with standing stones, hut circles, and hidden chambered cairns – it’s an engaging and evocative place to explore on foot.

Flow Country: This vast area of bog peatland in Northern Scotland is the largest blanket bog in Europe, covering some 460,000 acres in Caithness and Sutherland. Deriving its name from the Norse word ‘floi’, meaning wet or marshy, in 2024, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing the significance of the area’s natural ecosystems and contributions to the region’s biodiversity.

Wilderness Scotland’s hiking and E-bike trips on the Orkney Isles pass through Flow Country at both the start and end of the itineraries, as the groups travel to and from the remote islands from Inverness, the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands.

ENGLAND

Lake District National Park: Known for its glacial ribbon lakes, rugged fell mountains, and historic literary associations, the Lake District is England’s largest National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Home to Scafell Pike, its highest mountain, and Wastwater, its deepest lake, this is a gem of a place to visit.

Wilderness England offers a few guided adventures that explore the Lake District, a place it refers to as “one of the wildest corners of northwest England.” There’s the Iconic Peaks of the Lake District, a six-day hiking trip that climbs to the top of some of the highest peaks in the park and enjoys some of the country’s most rugged and spectacular views. There’s also the more moderate The Lake District hiking journey that focuses more on exploring the area’s charming villages, open countryside, and the flora and fauna of the region.

WALES

Eryri National Park: Wales’ largest national park, Eryri, covers a total of 823 square miles and is steeped with culture, history, and heritage, and is a place where the Welsh language is part of the day-to-day fabric of the area. Home to nine mountain ranges, 23 miles of coastline, 11,000 hectares of native woodland, and with 1,497 miles of trails to explore, no matter where you go in this park, it is sure to reward you with an abundance of fantastic views and magical wildlife.

Wilderness England’s seven-day Eryri (Snowdonia) fully guided hiking trip explores the park’s many hidden gems and provides the opportunity to summit Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the country’s highest peak. Along the way, guests will learn about the rich tapestry of Welsh mythology and folklore and get to know the history here along with the local people who shape it.

IRELAND

Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí: In a place known for its marine biodiversity and coastal landscape, it is fitting that it is also where you'll find Ireland’s first marine national park. Designated as such in 2024, the park includes iconic islands such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sceilg Mhichíl (Skellig Michael), marine reefs, mainland coastal, and maritime sites clustered in one broad geographic location – on and off the iconic Kerry coast. It brings together some of the area’s finest nature habitats, including limestone reefs, flagship sand dune systems, and blanket bog, and protects these habitats and the diverse species who live there – from breeding seabirds such as puffins and gannets, to wintering water birds, seals, whales, and dolphins. In addition to the biodiversity, locations within the park are very significant for their language, folklore, and cultural heritage.

Wilderness Ireland’s Hiking & Island Hopping Cork & Kerry itinerary is a unique hiking tour in the spectacular southwest region that explores, by foot and by boat, some of the area’s wildest coasts and islands. This includes a visit to the remote Skelligs, Ireland’s most famous islands. It was on Skellig Michael, also called Great Skellig, where 7^th century Irish monks lived and prayed on the island’s rocky slopes, while on the equally renowned Little Skellig, more than 27,000 pairs of gannets reside, the second-largest colony in the world.

For more information on any of the abovementioned wild and protected places and the tours that celebrate and explore them, visit WildernessScotland.com, WildernessEngland.com, or WildernessIreland.com.