Higher, further, more inclusive: Olympic torch to visit every county in Britain

Organisers hope flame will ignite interest outside London as it travels length and breath of the country

Olympic torch will visit every county in Britain (Reuters)

It may not be "planes, trains and automobiles" but a mixture of horses, bicycles and trams will be used to carry the Olympic flame on its relay around Britain. The journey will take it to Snowdon, Loch Ness and Stonehenge as it passes through more than 1,000 towns and villages.

Games' organiser Locog said yesterday that the flame will begin its journey at Land's End in Cornwall on 19 May next year and will visit every county of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland before finishing at the Olympic stadium on 27 July.

Sebastian Coe, the Locog chairman, said he hoped the relay would provoke a similar reaction to this year's royal wedding and that communities would be advised on how to mark its passing. But he insisted he did not want to tell people how to celebrate "in an Orwellian way".

A London 2012 spokesman said: "We're very proud that the torch will be within 10 miles of 95 per cent of people. We also wanted to include Britain's landmarks and areas of outstanding natural beauty to showcase Britain to the rest of the world."

The tour of the torch will be complemented by 11 other vehicles in order to secure its journey. Local police forces across the country are liaising with Locog to ensure the relay goes smoothly.

Lord Coe said he was confident the "right balance" would be struck and the policing operation around the event would be "classically proportionate".