Berghaus was judged the top kit for walkers

Readers of BBC Countryfile Magazine have named Berghaus as the top outdoor brand.

And the Lake District topped the awards for UK’s national parks, as well as being named top holiday destination.

Thousands of the magazine’s readers voted for Berghaus in its annual awards. The brand came first in a shortlist of 10, with Osprey, best known for its rucksacks, coming second, and waterproof clothing brand Páramo third.

Richard Leedham, Berghaus brand president, said: “This is great news for Berghaus.

“What makes this award so special is that it was voted for by the general public who take our kit to the setting for which it was designed. Readers of BBC Countryfile Magazine are big outdoor enthusiasts and the fact that Berghaus is their favourite brand to use while exploring the hills, valleys and coastlines of the UK is really heartening.

“Many thanks to everyone who voted for Berghaus and I can promise them that we have many more great products in the pipeline as we build up to our 50th birthday next year.”

Second-most popular holiday destination in the awards were the Outer Hebrides, with Yorkshire third.

The Lake District came tops in two categories

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs was runner-up in the national park category, with the Peak District third.

The red squirrel was deemed the wildlife success story of the year, ahead of the white-tailed eagle and the otter.

Fergus Collins, editor of BBC Countryfile Magazine, said: “This is our way of saying thank you to the people and places that make the countryside so special.

“The awards clearly roused great passion and amassed thousands of votes, a testament to the strong contenders in each category. It was a closely fought competition generating great interest.

“Our winners can be justly proud of their titles; they have been endorsed as outstanding examples in their field by our readership.”

More details of the winners can be seen on the BBC Countryfile Magazine website.