The MoD's revamped website contains downloadable dossiers on selected walks, complete with gradings and timings, access details, safety tips, points of interest and maps.

Castlelaw, near Edinburgh

This five-mile, three-hour circular walk across an MOD training estate offers fantastic views across the city, the Forth estuary and the Pentland hills. The terrain is mostly heather moorland with a number of streams and some wetland areas. The walk is open at all times although sections of the route run alongside a fenced and flagged live firing range which should not be entered under any circumstances.

Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire

An eight-mile (4½ hours) coastal walk through Castlemartin's Range East offering superb limestone cliff scenery and maritime heathland. Visit 13th-century St Govan's chapel at the foot of the cliffs and look out for the rich birdlife including choughs, sea birds and ringed plovers. The walk is open most weekends and at other times.

For latest access information, call the range office on 01646 662367. For Range West, which can only be visited on guided walks, call 01239 820912.

Catterick, North Yorkshire

Crossing heather moorland and woodland, this 6½-mile walk fringes a live firing range on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Wonderful views over Swaledale and of the abandoned priory at Ellerton. There is the option to extend this linear, 3-4 hour walk back to its starting point at Downholme along the coast to coast footpath, taking 6-7 hours in total. The walk is open at all times.

Friday Woods, Colchester, Essex

An easy four-mile circular walk through largely wooded training areas to the south of this garrison town. Walkers may meet military personnel and vehicles and also hear blank firing. The waymarked route may be heavy after rain but the woods are rich with wildlife. Open at all times.

Imber Range Perimeter Path, Salisbury Plain

A 30-mile circular walk which can be tackled in sections or in its entirety over 2-3 days. This huge training area, 25 miles by 10, is especially important for its flower-rich chalk grassland and is one of Britain's great butterfly havens. Salisbury Plain is also one of Britain's richest archaeological landscapes, with great concentrations of long barrows including those at Battlesbury and Bratton.