The four Paralympic Flames will be lit on consecutive days with the first in Cumbria on August 24, the second in County Down on August 25, the third in the Lochaber area on August 26 and the fourth in Gwynedd on August 27.

In keeping with Paralympic tradition, the four Flames will be lit using a combination of teamwork and human endeavour.

This will manifest itself as groups of young disabled and non-disabled Scouts from communities near to the peaks ascend the mountains.

At the top they will use a ferrocerium rod and strike it against a rough steel surface to create the sparks that will light the Flame.

On the same respective days, the four individual Flames will then be placed in miner's lanterns and transferred to the nation's capital cities in London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff where they will each become the focus for a day of Paralympic celebrations.

The London ceremonial cauldron will be ignited on the evening of August 24 in Trafalgar Square, the Belfast ceremonial cauldron on the evening of August 25 outside Stormont, the Edinburgh ceremonial cauldron on the evening of August 26 on The Mound and the Cardiff ceremonial cauldron on the evening of August 27 outside City Hall.

The four Flames will then be brought together at the Flame Lighting Ceremony to create the Paralympic Flame on August 28 at Stoke Mandeville – the location where Sir Ludwig Guttmann sowed the seeds for the Paralympics in 1948 when he organised sporting competition for injured patients rehabilitating from World War Two.

A map shows the London highlights of the 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay

The Paralympic Flame will be then carried 87 miles by 580 Torchbearers, made up of 116 teams of five, in a 24-hour relay to the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony on the evening of August 29.

"We have created a unique identity for the Paralympic Torch Relay which will be a celebration of courage, determination, inspiration and equality that every Paralympian represents," said London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe.

"By creating the four Flames through human endeavour at the four highest peaks in the UK we will ensure that the spirit of each home nation is represented in the Paralympic Flame."

London 2012 has also revealed the full street level route that Paralympic Flame will take during the 24-hour overnight Relay – presented by BT, Lloyds TSB and Sainsbury's – from Stoke Mandeville to London.

The Relay will travel through some of the communities of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, before visiting all six host boroughs and a number of London landmarks.

"We now invite people to show their support for the Paralympic Torch Relay, whether it's taking lanterns along to a Flame Festival or Celebration, supporting a Torchbearer or getting together to line the route of the 24-hour relay and help us lead the way to the Paralympic Games," added Coe.

The full route is available to view here. 

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