The internet has opened up many outdoor opportunities to those on Canal Boat Holidays and other breaks in the UK, it has been suggested.

Figures from the National Trust show that already in 2010, 150,000 walking maps have been retrieved from its website.

It expects this year's uptake to exceed that seen in 2009, when a total of 250,000 maps were downloaded from the National Trust.

More than 150,000 people have downloaded maps from the site in 2010, suggesting that figures for this year will exceed those seen in 2009.

Mike Collins from the National Trust said: 'These walks have something for everyone - whether you want a short stroll around a circular route with a tea room at the end of it or a more challenging eight-mile hike.

'Statistics from Ramblers suggest 30 per cent of people in Scotland regularly embark on walks - ten per cent more than their English counterparts.