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651 m · Wainwright — Northern Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Great Sca Fell - a low stone cairn on a boggy moorland top, distant fells dissolving into low cloud
Wainwright — Northern FellsAlso a Birkett

Great Sca Fell

Great Sca Fell at 651m (2,136ft) is a rounded, grassy summit in the Back o' Skiddaw country, giving wide views across the northern moorlands to the Solway and the Pennines.

651 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+11
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Great Sca Fell

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

651 mWainwright — Northern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+11 bonus Birketts within 3 km Severe in cloud

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 651 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 15° to 13°C, gusts to 36 mph, 4.5 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
15° / 13°
💨 36 mph
🌧 4.5 mm (61%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
15° / 11°
💨 32 mph
🌧 10.2 mm (71%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌧️
13° / 5°
💨 31 mph
🌧 1.9 mm (76%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
14° / 1°
💨 24 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (76%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 3°
💨 15 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (55%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
15° / 2°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (28%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
15° / 5°
💨 15 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (22%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 651 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

About the walk

Key information

Great Sca Fell

Great Sca Fell - a low stone cairn on a boggy moorland top, distant fells dissolving into low cloud
© Lee McCoy

Great Sca Fell at 651m (2,136ft) is a rounded, grassy summit in the Back o' Skiddaw country, giving wide views across the northern moorlands to the Solway and the Pennines. Wainwright included it as part of the Back o' Skiddaw group, noting its remote character and the sense of spaciousness it offers. The ascent from Orthwaite or Fell Side crosses open moorland. Combined naturally with Knott and Brae Fell for a circuit of the northern Skiddaw fells. A fell for those who appreciate wide, peaceful moorland walking.

🗒️ My notes
This fell may be 651 metres but its not a challenging one at all as part of the route that I took. I didn't over-think how long it would take, and I'm sure the whole hike was over in a blink. It's a rolling-fell type hike without any major challenging pull-ups and as you can see, it's a flat, grass-topped fell that makes it suitable for children. It may be the farthest point on route, but given its got a number of Wainwrights and Birketts close by, its certainly a very "cheap" summit to bag. I loved the quiet nature of this fell. I don't recall seeing many people for the entirety of my morning.

Routes up Great Sca Fell

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

Cockup at the White Hause and other Birketts
23.9 km · ~6.7 hr
North of Skiddaw
13.2 km · ~3.8 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Northern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
651 m
Height
2,136 ft
In feet
NY 2913 3390
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside), about 4.6 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Great Sca Fell (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.4 km NNWLittle Sca Fell633 m · Northern
0.8 km SSWFrozen Fell625 m · Northern
1.2 km EMiller Moss (Little Lingy Hill)610 m · Northern
1.4 km SWBurn Tod595 m · Northern
1.5 km WNWLowthwaite Fell509 m · Northern
1.9 km EGreat Lingy Hill616 m · Northern
2.3 km ESECoomb Height627 m · Northern
2.4 km ENEHare Stones627 m · Northern
2.5 km SWWhite Hause464 m · Northern
2.6 km SSWLittle Calva642 m · Northern
3.0 km WLittle Cockup399 m · Northern

Routes over Great Sca Fell

Cockup at the White Hause and other BirkettsPlanned
23.91 km · ~1160 m ascent · loop · ~6.5–9 h
Summits: Little CockupGreat CockupGreat Sca FellKnottBurn TodLittle CalvaWhite HauseCockupWatches

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

North of SkiddawRevised
13.22 km · ~707 m ascent · loop · ~3.5–5 h
Summits: Longlands FellLowthwaite FellBrae FellLittle Sca FellGreat Sca FellMeal FellGreat CockupOrthwaite Bank

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

The View from Great Sca Fell

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys
Computed 360-degree skyline from Great Sca Fell33 labelled tops shown (19 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWSkiddaw · 6 kmBowfell · 28 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 7 kmJenkin Hill · 7 kmWhiteside · 17 kmBowscale Fell · 5 kmTarn Crags Top · 6 kmCarrock Fell · 5 kmHigh Pike · 3 kmBlake Fell · 23 kmCriffel · 44 km · clear daysBakestall · 4 kmLittle Sca Fell · 0 kmHare Stones · 2 kmFellbarrow · 19 kmGreat Lingy Hill · 2 kmBrae Fell · 1 kmGreat Cockup · 2 kmBengairn · 56 km · clear daysLowthwaite Fell · 2 kmBinsey · 7 kmSighty Crag · 56 km · clear daysLittle Cockup · 3 kmWisp Hill · 66 km · clear daysCauldcleuch Head · 69 km · clear daysLing Fell · 12 kmCalkin Rig · 54 km · clear daysGreen How · 5 kmMickle Fell · 52 km · clear daysBlackwood Hill · 67 km · clear daysCold Fell · 38 km · clear daysClints Crags · 13 kmGrange Fell · 48 km · clear daysGavel Fell · 23 kmBurnbank Fell · 22 kmFrozen Fell · 1 kmLonglands Fell · 2 kmBurthwaite Heights · 12 kmRogan's Seat · 70 km · clear daysCaermote Hill · 10 kmGreatmoor Hill · 70 km · clear daysLarriston Fells · 64 km · clear daysWatch Hill · 14 kmBainloch Hill · 46 km · clear daysWhite Hill · 56 km · clear daysSlieve Donard · 192 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 101 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 100 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 95 km · a rare clear dayThe Cheviot · 106 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 86 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 106 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 190 km · a handful of days a yearWhite Coomb · 82 km · a rare clear dayQueensberry · 72 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 107 km · a rare clear dayCairnharrow · 79 km · a rare clear dayTosson Hill · 96 km · a rare clear dayDun Rig · 98 km · a rare clear dayBlackcraig Hill · 97 km · a rare clear dayRubers Law · 87 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 74 km · a rare clear dayLaw Kneis · 79 km · a rare clear dayHoove · 76 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Great Sca Fell, by direction
  • East: Miller Moss (1 km), Great Lingy Hill (2 km), Hare Stones (2 km), High Pike (3 km), Carrock Fell (5 km), Cross Fell (40 km)
  • South-east: Coomb Height (2 km), Bowscale Fell (5 km), Tarn Crags Top (6 km)
  • South: Little Calva (3 km), Sale How (6 km), Skiddaw Little Man (7 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (7 km), Jenkin Hill (7 km), Glaramara (24 km), Looking Steads (24 km), Esk Pike (27 km), Bowfell (28 km)
  • South-west: Frozen Fell (1 km), Bakestall (4 km), Broad End (5 km), Skiddaw North Top (6 km), Skiddaw (6 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (6 km), Skiddaw South Top (6 km), Lord's Seat (11 km), Graystones (14 km), Swinside (15 km), Whiteside (17 km), Fellbarrow (19 km), Sourfoot Fell (19 km), Loweswater End (22 km), Carling Knott (22 km), Burnbank Fell (22 km), Gavel Fell (23 km), Blake Fell (23 km), Owsen Fell (23 km), Gavel Fell (23 km)
  • North-west: Little Sca Fell (0 km), Criffel (44 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (192 km, Ireland), Merrick (101 km, Scotland), Snaefell (100 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (95 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (106 km, England), Cairnsmore of Fleet (86 km, Scotland), Corserine (96 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (96 km, Scotland).

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Great Sca Fell

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
17Wainwrights in view+12 marginal
102 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandWNW · 102 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 101 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 44 km clear
  • Great Dun Fell North PenninesE · 42 km distant
  • Cross Fell North PenninesE · 39 km clear
  • Irish Sea open waterWSW · 37 km in view
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNW · 32 km in view
All 17 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Brae Fell, Great Cockup, Longlands Fell, Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man, Binsey, Sale Fell, Lord's Seat, Broom Fell, Ling Fell, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Graystones (Graystones North Top), Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Low Fell, Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell, Gavel Fell

How Great Sca Fell’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Best parking to hike Great Sca Fell

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside) — 4.6 km from summit (straight line)
Dash Falls track — Bakestall, Great Calva, Skiddaw the quiet way.
Directions
Caldbeck village (free) — 6.6 km from summit (straight line)
Northern edge — High Pike and Carrock Fell from the north.
Directions
🚺 Public toilets (949m)

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Buses to Great Sca Fell from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

No regular bus serves the start points for this fell — this is one for the car (or a long approach from the nearest served valley). The nearest hubs are Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

My hikes over Great Sca Fell (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Navigating Great Sca Fell in cloud

Severe

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. A serious place to be caught in cloud: carry map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save it for a clear day.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Great Sca Fell compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Other fells near Great Sca Fell

Maps & guidebooks for Great Sca Fell

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