HIKERS and strollers are lacing up their boots for the start of the first ever Peak District Walking Festival which starts on Saturday.

The festival, which runs until May 2, features 150 new guided walks over hills and dales and along old railway tracks.

It has been organised by tourism partnership Visit Peak District and is aimed at boosting visitors in the early part of the season.

It is the first time a festival has been organised for the whole Peak District region, and it includes Derbyshire and parts of West Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester.

Festival walks vary in length and terrain and several are accessible for wheelchairs and buggies.

Others amble through historic towns and villages and some are aimed at those with fitness and stamina for hikes among the hills.

Walking Festival guides are available by ringing 0870 444 7275, or find www.visitpeakdistrict.com on the internet.