Visiting extreme points (and why they make for a great adventure)
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Ardnamurchan - most westerly point of UK
Adventure doesn’t always have to mean epic expeditions and disappearing off-grid for days at a time (although that’s pretty amazing too). Sometimes, the best outdoor days start much closer to home, with a simple idea.
One of my favourite ways to get outside is to pick an “extreme point”.
I think of the most northerly, southerly, easterly, or westerly place, the highest village, or even something completely made up, then go and see where it takes me. It’s a great way to turn an ordinary day into an adventure.
I’ve always believed that adventure is really about the way we approach being outdoors. Curiosity can take us a long way, even when we’re just setting off from our front door.
What is an extreme point?
An extreme point is anything that’s the most (or least) of something.
It might be geographical, like the most northerly, southerly, easterly, or westerly point in the UK. But it doesn’t have to be.
It could also be:
The highest village in your county
The lowest point below sea level
The furthest place you can reach by bike before turning back
The edge of your county
Or something you make up like “the most remote cafe I can reach by train”
The rules are yours to invent, and that’s the whole point!
Greenwich Meridian Line in Yorkshire
Why bother visiting an extreme point?
On paper, you might think all this sounds a bit mad. Why would you go out of your way to visit somewhere just because it’s technically the most easterly, or the lowest, or the wettest?
But that’s exactly why it works.
Extreme points take away decision fatigue. Instead of endlessly thinking “what shall we do this weekend?”, you already have an answer. You just follow the idea.
One winter, when struggling for inspiration for places to go, we started ticking off the Peak District Ethels. It meant we were out walking pretty much every weekend that winter. But, more importantly, it took us to places we might never have gone otherwise - and made it easy for us to decide what to do.
Extreme points have a way of making you notice places you’d probably never otherwise visit. Not all will be spectacular - in fact some may be a bit underwhelming.
Take the most easterly point of the UK (Ness Point, Lowestoft). There’s a circular marker on the ground next to the sea showing the distances to other places around the world (and it’s sadly a bit worse for wear now). Other than that, the place feels a bit neglected - it’s on the edge of an industrial estate, with no beach and no cafe.
Even so, it feels good to have stood there.
With an extreme point, you explored and went there, and that’s really what adventure is all about.
Ness Point, most easterly point of mainland UK
How to pick your own extreme point
The best thing about this is that there are no real rules. You can make it as simple or as ridiculous as you like.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Head for the furthest point you can reach from home in a day (by foot, bike, or train)
Pick a compass direction and just keep going until you reach something interesting
Look up the highest village near you and plan a visit
Choose a boundary (county, national park, coastline) and aim for the edge of it
Tick off all the county tops. With the Ethel Ready App covering Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and Greater Manchester, it’s a great challenge for anyone exploring the Peak District
Or keep it simple and go for the most northerly, southerly, easterly, and westerly
The weird thing is - the stranger your extreme point, the better it can end up being. Because suddenly, you’re not just going for a walk, you’re going to find something different.
Some of my favourite extreme points
I’ve only recently started thinking about the UK in extreme points, but a few have stuck with me. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some to inspire you:
Geographical extremes
Most westerly point of mainland UK: Ardnamurchan Lighthouse (though the actual tip is Corrachadh Mòr a few hundred metres away)
Most easterly point of mainland UK: Ness Point, Lowestoft
Most southwesterly point of mainland UK: Land’s End (touristy but iconic)
Most southerly point of Scotland: Mull of Galloway
Mull of Galloway, most southerly point of Scotland
Kinder, county top of Derbyshire (the actual highest point is unmarked on the moor)
Height extremes
Highest village in Britain: Flash, Peak District
Read more about our wild weekend in Flash, the highest village in BritainHighest point in the UK: Ben Nevis, Scotland (1,345m)
Highest point in Wales: Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) (1,085m)
Highest point in England: Scafell Pike (978m)
Highest point in the Peak District: Kinder Scout (636m)
Highest point in Yorkshire: Whernside (736m)
Quirky extremes
Where the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) first meets mainland UK (in the north): Tunstall Beach, East Yorkshire
Wettest inhabited place in England: Seathwaite, Borrowdale (Lake District)
Tunstall Beach, East Yorkshire, where the Prime Meridian first meets mainland UK (in the north!)
Final thoughts
Next time you’re stuck for something to do, try this:
Pick an extreme, any extreme.
Then go and see where it takes you.
I’d love to know what you come up with.
Ben Nevis, Scotland, highest point in the UK
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), Wales, highest point in Wales
You might also like:
Britain’s highest village in the Peak District (Flash)
https://www.outdoor-girl.com/blog/flash-peak-district-highest-village
Favourite places in the UK for outdoor adventure
https://www.outdoor-girl.com/blog/best-places-outdoor-adventure-uk
Simple mini adventure ideas
https://www.outdoor-girl.com/blog/28-mini-adventures-you-can-do-in-winter
Adventure bucket list ideas for the UK and Europe
https://www.outdoor-girl.com/blog/adventure-bucket-list
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It’s never expected, but a big thank you if you can 🫶
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Outdoor-Girl is run by Jacquie Budd, a UK-based outdoor adventure writer and SEO content specialist. She’s a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild, combining outdoor storytelling with SEO content and web design for small businesses.
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