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# Heading for the Highlands
- URL: https://tombrewer.co.uk/heading-for-the-highlands/
- Published: 2025-10-25T18:22:46.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-21T09:32:34.000Z
- Author: Tom Brewer
- Tags: Newsletter, #Migrated-1789982889005, #Import 2026-09-21 09:29

The car packed, coffee in hand, we set off north. We’re heading for the Cairngorms, but today, a warm up in the Yorkshire Dales.

![](https://tombrewer.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/87951035-1483-40a1-bf57-06da6d994e0e_2048x1152-jpeg-1.jpg)

Malham was our destination, a village that looks like it’s been arranged by a National Trust stylist with an eye for symmetry: stone cottages, tidy walls, a pub that knows its audience. The weather held up, bright sun, a breeze sharp enough to remind you it’s still October, and light that makes the limestone glow.

![](https://tombrewer.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/e7bdf0e5-a88e-41fa-8960-fcc926c4c511_2048x1152-jpeg.jpg)

The walk up to Malham Cove was busier than I expected. A steady stream of walkers, dogs, and selfie-snappers. Still, it’s worth the fuss. The cove itself is impressive, an 80-metre limestone cliff carved by glacial meltwater, complete with a rock formation at the top that looks like the world’s most impractical patio. It’s also, apparently, a Harry Potter filming location, though no wizards were spotted today.

![](https://tombrewer.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/77a13f51-03bb-4dcc-8609-b43bf7bfd283_2048x1152-jpeg.jpg)

It’s strange to think this peaceful valley was once home to a waterfall as high as Niagara, and that the last time it flowed was in 2015\. From the top, the view across the Dales is everything you’d want it to be: rolling fields, dry-stone grids, and an expansive blue sky (today at least).

We’ve pushed on to Carlisle for the night, gateway to Scotland. Tomorrow, Aviemore, and the majestic Highlands. But for a first stop, Malham did exactly what you’d hope: a bit of walking, a bit of weather, and just enough geology to make you feel clever over dinner.