For an island nation such as ours the coast is a special place, and this year has been designated "Sea Britain" to celebrate some particularly important landmarks. In October there will be a series of events to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, Britain's greatest naval victory.

However, 2005 is also the 40th anniversary of the National Trust's remarkable Neptune Coastline campaign, dedicated to safeguarding our precious shore. Its success reflects our deep-seated feelings for what is arguably the country's greatest natural asset. So where should you head to savour the best of the British coast?

The Seven Sisters near Eastbourne, East Sussex

10,000 miles of shore

According to the Ordnance Survey, Britain boasts over 10,000 miles of seaboard, and to explore this immensely rich and varied landscape properly you have to pull on some stout shoes and breathe in a lungful of wholesome, salty air. From the abundance of wildlife to the dramatic marine geology, the sense of light and reflected colours to the simple rhythm of the sea, there's just so much to be said for a walk by the sea.

You can choose between the soaring headlands and golden bays of Devon and Cornwall or the flat, remote marshlands of East Anglia; the whaleback chalk cliffs of the South Coast or the peaceful, castellated shoreline of Northumberland. Then don't forget the flower-rich cliffs of Pembrokeshire or the unspoilt island vastness of the Hebrides. Despite urban and industrial pockets there are paths aplenty, including short strolls along sea walls and estuary banks through to awesome National Trails such as the 630-mile South West Coast Path around England's entire south-west peninsula.

Elsewhere, counties such as Suffolk, Cumbria and Lancashire boast more or less continuous coastal paths, not to mention walker-friendly islands such as the Isle of Wight. For the coastal connoisseur the choice is endless.

However, the coast, by its very nature, is a powerful and ever-changing landscape that is seldom harnessed for long, and one of the pleasures of exploring the British shore is that away from the promenades and bungalows there are some surprisingly wild stretches. A wander around the edge of The Wash in rural Lincolnshire is a journey into a lonely and unpopulated land, where you'll be vastly outnumbered by birds and seals.

The shingle banks of Dungeness in Kent and the curling spit of Spurn Head at the mouth of the Humber are both unique and unusual places to explore on foot; while the low, empty shores of the Solway Firth are a pleasant diversion from crowded Lakeland (or try the far-flung Orkneys or Shetland Islands for a truly secluded coastline). A misty evening on the Essex or north Kent marshes can seem like walking back through Dickens' time; while the recently-opened Durham Coast Path, around Seaham and Easington, is a reminder of how nature is slowly healing over the scars of past industry.

Vigorous defence

Cliffs near Port Eynon Point

Altogether, the Trust owns around 600 miles of coastline, particularly in the South West where they protect over 40 per cent of Cornwall's alone, as well as large stretches of the Sussex Downs, Norfolk marshes and Yorkshire cliffs. It's an impressive record and shows just how passionate people feel about their shoreline.

Throughout 2004 I visited virtually every corner of the British coastline in order to research the ultimate walkers' guide to our wonderful seashore. It's a celebration of the variety of our marine landscape, and a reminder that whatever your ability and wherever you live there's a little bit of coast within a reasonable distance that is just waiting to be explored. Here, clockwise from the 'top', are some of the best bits.

Scotland's north coast Dunnet Head, near the odd tourist centre of John o'Groats, is actually the most northerly point on mainland Britain, but it is the two far corners of Duncansby Head and Cape Wrath that are most inspiring. The latter, in particular, is a wild, windy and isolated headland, and Sandwood Bay to the south is probably the most remote and stunning beach in Britain.

The East Neuk of Fife

You can explore this delightful and accessible corner of eastern Scotland via the new Fife Coastal Path, linking the Forth and Tay Bridges (North Queensferry to Dundee). Between Leven and St Andrews there's a succession of charming old fishing villages such as St Monans, Anstruther and Crail, separated by a scenic strip of low cliffs bordered by golf links.

Waterside path by Loch Brittle, Isle of Skye