RIDE2STRIDE - the Settle-Carlisle Walking Festival - returns later this month.

It will offer a week of walks, talks and music along the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway line.

All the walks are free and set off from a station along the line. They will be led by experienced leaders from well-known organisations like Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line, Friends of Dales Rail and the Yorkshire Dales Society.

The longest is a challenging 17-mile circular from Ribblehead and the shortest is a short steep four-mile hike around Settle.

As well as the walks, there are guided tours of the shanty town at Ribblehead viaduct and the restored Settle Water Tower and at the end of each day musicians and singers will perform live in a pub near the end of a walk.

As one of the visitors to last year’s Ride2stride said: “I came from Chicago. What’s not to like? Settle and the Yorkshire Dales, the railroad and the music.”

A highlight of the 2015 Ride2stride is the chance for walkers to tackle each of the Yorkshire Three Peaks on consecutive days.

Diane Taylor, a walk leader with Friends of Dales Rail, who is organising the walks, said: "So often people either tackle all the peaks in one go as a fundraising or personal challenge or they are put off by the sheer difficulty.

"We’re taking walkers up Whernside, Ingleborough and Penyghent on May 2, 3 and 4 respectively. People can do one, two or all three of the walks and will get the chance to really enjoy our mountains in the company of an experienced guide.”

More than 900 people from as far afield as America and Australia as well as from all over the UK attended the 2014 festival.

Chris Grogan, from the steering group that co-ordinates the programme, said: “We are hoping that we will have a good turn out this year too and that Ride2stride will be an introduction to the joys of walking in the Western Dales.”

Ride2stride 2015 is now in its fourth year and the first events will take place on Tuesday, April 28.

They will include a Settle Geology Trail, led by Dr David Johnson, of Ingleborough Archaeology Group, a moderate circular walk from Settle which visits three Dales waterfalls, and a walk and talk behind the scenes at the newly converted Settle Water Tower.

The tower was turned into a luxury home by Mark and Pat Rand and the work was featured on Channel 4's Restoration Man programme.

The festival runs until Bank Holiday Monday, May 4, and printed itineraries will be available at railway stations and at tourist information centres along the line. Alternatively copies can be downloaded from the website ride2stride.org.uk