Plan to Visit National Parks in Wales and Scotland of the UK by Train

When it comes to traveling to the UK, you may first think about the Parliament House, Big Ben, London Eye, Tower Bridge, a series of museums including the British Museum, or Edinburgh's castle, Loch Ness "Water Monster" and the mysterious Stonehenge beside Bath City.

If you choose to travel to the UK, under normal circumstances, you will walk through these famous attractions, and then punch in and take pictures at each attraction. But in fact, is traveling in the UK really "just like that"?

The answer is of course no, because Britain's most magnificent mountains and lakes, the most scenic beaches, and the best preserved mountain villages and towns, as well as various cultural heritage, are hidden in a total of 15 national parks. Let's take a look.

（*Pictures from the Internet）

What is a national park?

The purpose of setting up national parks is to protect the rural areas with unique scenery and provide opportunities for tourists to visit these areas every year.

Although the name is "National Park", the National Park in the UK is not exactly "National". In fact, land ownership in these national parks is scattered among private owners in these areas, and the country owns only a small portion. But the country will lead these landowners to protect the scenery together.

There are currently 15 national parks in the UK, namely:

10 in England: The Broads, Dartmoor, Exmoor, the Lake District, the New Forest, Northumberland, the North York Moors, the Peak District, the South Downs and the Yorkshire Dales.

3 in Wales: the Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast, and Snowdonia.

2 in Scotland: Cairngorms and Loch Lomond&the Trossachs.

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Most people in the UK have only visited a few national parks in the UK. Southerners vow to go to Northumberland one day, while Northerners are keen to learn about South Downs. In fact, considering that South Downs National Park is the closest park to London, few Londoners walk or bike through it, which is really surprising. By showing you those national parks that are easily reached by train, you can plan a trip well in advance, save a lot of money by getting there quickly, and then enjoy all the beauty. You will never be stuck in a traffic jam again, unlike 93% of people who drive to national parks.

National Parks in Whales

How to get to the Brecon Beacons National Park by train

This national park has many highlights, such as Black Mountain, Pen y Fan steep walls (886 meters) and limestone valleys, with less than 70 kilometers wide. As one of the three national parks in Wales, you must stay here overnight because it is also recognized as an international dark sky reserve. The main train station is Abergavenny, famous for local cuisine and the September food festival. Another option is to go to the old nomadic town of Llandovery on the western border of the park, which is ideal for hiking in Black Mountain and a favorite for mountain bike enthusiasts.

How to get to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park by train

For those who want to enjoy a bit of a wild and windy coastline, there is nothing like getting off the train at Fishegard station to be part of the national park's coastline which is part of the larger Wales Coast Path. This is actually one of the smallest national parks in the UK, but it is home to a vast area of 12 blue flag beaches, offshore islands, large swathes of the Preseli Hills and the Gwaun Valley. Other stations to take you to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park by train are Tenby, Haverfordwest, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven.

How to get to Snowdonia National Park by train

Snowdonia itself isn't a secret, with the highest peak in Wales being placed on every child's map of Britain at an early age. There are many secrets lying within this national park, however, such as the other great peak of Cader Idris, Mawddach estuarine trail or the stunning beach at Harlech. And Coed y Brenin is pretty much mountain biking mecca. Snowdonia train stations include Betws y Coed or Bangor for linking up with Snowdon Mountain Railway (see their site for booking). For coastal park head to Porthmadog, taking a stunning route from Shrewsbury through the Cambrian Mountains. Porthmadog is also home to the famous Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway, which you can book on their site.

There are no secrets in Snowdonia National Park itself. Every child can see the highest peak of Wales on the map of England at a very young age. However, there are many mysterious and fun landscapes inside this national park, such as the other great peak of Cader Idris, Mawddach estuarine trail or the stunning beach at Harlech. For coastal park you can plan to go to Porthmadog, taking a stunning route from Shrewsbury through the Cambrian Mountains. Book the train ticket at trainpal.com now.

National Parks in Scotland

How to get to the Cairngorms National Park by train

The two most popular train stations for the famous mountains of Scotland are Aviemore and Kingussie. The former is already a well-known ski center, but with mountain biking, canoeing, climbing, white water rafting, and canyoning also being offered, Cairngorm National Park is becoming one of the most exciting adventure destinations in the UK. It is also the largest national park in the UK. Of course, there are lakes here, but the mountains and mountain climate are the natural rulers here. Five of the six highest mountains in Scotland are located in this park, and 52 peaks are more than 900 meters, so bring your winter hiking equipment for the beauty.

How to get to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park by train

As one of Scotland’s two national parks, its name is deceptive because it actually has 22 large lochs, many small lochs and more than 50 rivers flowing through the park. There are canoe, sailing, fishing and swimming facilities. Take the train to Balloch which is on Loch Lomond to enjoy some wild water fun. Other lovely sites include Arrochar and Tarbet, which are part of the Three Lochs Way, where you can see the Arrochar Alps. Or take the train to Ardlui on the shore of Loch Lomond, walk along Crianlarich along the West Highland Way. Even the names makes you want to seek out the trains.

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If you are also interested in these national parks and would like to arrange for yourself a train journey in the UK, follow this article and there will be no problem. You can also check out the other 10 travel plans to travel to the National Parks in England by train in another article.