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

Long Side, a Lake District fell
Wainwright — Northern FellsAlso a Birkett

Long Side

Long Side at 734m (2,408ft) is an intermediate summit on the Ullock Pike to Skiddaw ridge, its long, narrow crest giving outstanding views across Bassenthwaite Lake below and north to the Solway coast.

734 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+7
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Long Side

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

734 mWainwright — Northern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+7 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 734 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 14° to 13°C, gusts to 34 mph, 5.8 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
14° / 13°
💨 34 mph
🌧 5.8 mm (77%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
13° / 10°
💨 26 mph
🌧 14.3 mm (79%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌧️
12° / 4°
💨 30 mph
🌧 2.5 mm (76%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
13° / 1°
💨 23 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (69%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
13° / 3°
💨 15 mph
🌧 1.5 mm (63%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌤️
15° / 2°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (25%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
14° / 5°
💨 15 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (20%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 734 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

Long Side

Long Side, a Lake District fell
© Lee McCoy

Long Side at 734m (2,408ft) is an intermediate summit on the Ullock Pike to Skiddaw ridge, its long, narrow crest giving outstanding views across Bassenthwaite Lake below and north to the Solway coast. Wainwright noted it as a summit of pleasing character on the finest of the Skiddaw approaches — the ridge from Ravenstone to Ullock Pike, Long Side and Carl Side makes for one of the best Lakeland ridge walks. The views west across Bassenthwaite to the distant coast are a distinctive bonus on this often clear, high ridge.

🗒️ My notes
The summit cairn appears to be an after-thought. While other fells seem to have had some effort put into them - I'm mainly thinking of Thornthwaite Crag, Long Side appears to be a vomit of a cairn only suitable for catching your breath as you prepare for the last leg up to Skiddaw. But being so close to Ullock Pike and Carl Side at just 12m its senior, it'll be bagged and forgotten about.

Routes up Long Side

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

Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd
12.4 km · ~4.3 hr · Hard
A grand horseshoe of the northern Skiddaw group from the forest at Dodd Wood. The walk climbs the clean, shapely ridge over Ullock Pike and along airy Longside Edge to Long Side, then drops to the col by Carl Side before the stiff, loose scree pull onto Skiddaw itself — and one of the great Lakeland summit views, out across the Solway Firth to Scotland. The return crosses back over Carl Side and takes a careful, GPS-checked line down to the wooded little top of Dodd before the drop home through the trees. Five Skiddaw-group Wainwrights — Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side, Skiddaw and Dodd — on a satisfying, varied loop: clean ridge, real summit, quiet forest to finish.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Northern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
734 m
Height
2,408 ft
In feet
NY 2487 2844
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Dodd Wood (paid), about 1.8 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Long Side (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.

1.2 km ESkiddaw South Top926 m · Northern
1.2 km ENESkiddaw Middle Top929 m · Northern
1.9 km NEBroad End832 m · Northern
2.1 km NNWWatches333 m · Northern
2.2 km ESESkiddaw Lesser Man824 m · Northern
2.7 km ESEJenkin Hill735 m · Northern
2.7 km ESale How666 m · Northern

Routes over Long Side

Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and DoddRevised
12.41 km · ~1081 m ascent · loop · ~4–5.5 h · Loop · Hard
Summits: Ullock PikeLong SideSkiddaw Middle TopSkiddawCarl SideDodd (Skiddaw)

✎️ Start from the pay-and-display forestry car park at Dodd Wood (Mirehouse), on the A591 by the east shore of Bassenthwaite Lake — the path heads up through the trees, over a brook, and north past Sand Beds.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: A popular route walkable in most seasons. Save Longside Edge for a day without a gale, and expect the loose scree onto Skiddaw to be the one real effort. In winter the scree and the high, open ridge need proper care and kit.

⚠️ Warnings: Longside Edge is an airy ridge — fine in calm weather and nothing like Striding Edge, but it can feel daunting in a high wind.; The pull onto Skiddaw is loose scree, with a navigation trap: don't bear left too soon or you'll pass under the summit and miss it — aim straight up the scree.; The descent from Carl Side to Dodd needs care with the GPS: turn right down towards the road — the 'direct' line straight up to the left is almost impassable — then immediately left to pick up the clear path to Dodd.; Off Dodd, a clearing to the left looks like a short-cut but isn't: it leads through branches and moss to a sharp drop. Head back to the road and follow the track home.

Full route guide ↗

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

The View from Long Side

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 Long Side34 labelled tops shown (21 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 22 kmHelvellyn · 16 kmSkiddaw · 1 kmSkiddaw Middle Top · 1 kmSkiddaw South Top · 1 kmBowfell · 22 kmPillar · 18 kmRaise · 14 kmGreat Dodd · 12 kmGrasmoor · 11 kmCrag Hill · 10 kmBroad End · 2 kmSwirl How · 28 kmKirk Fell · 19 kmSeat Sandal · 19 kmSergeant Man · 20 kmWhiteside East Top · 10 kmHigh Seat · 11 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 2 kmBlake Fell · 16 kmCarl Side · 1 kmCriffel · 44 km · clear daysUllock Pike · 0 kmLord's Seat · 5 kmBroom Fell · 6 kmBengairn · 54 km · clear daysLonglands Fell · 8 kmBinsey · 8 kmLing Fell · 7 kmSale Fell · 6 kmOrthwaite Bank · 5 kmCaermote Hill · 10 kmWatch Hill · 10 kmGrange Fell · 54 km · clear daysGreat End · 20 kmGreat Gable · 18 kmStybarrow Dodd · 13 kmSteeple · 19 kmHigh Raise · 25 kmGrey Friar · 28 kmSail · 10 kmHopegill Head · 9 kmWetherlam · 28 kmRobinson · 12 kmUllscarf · 17 kmSkiddaw Lesser Man · 2 kmGavel Fell · 16 kmStanding Crag · 16 kmBurnbank Fell · 16 kmFellbarrow · 12 kmRoan Fell · 68 km · clear daysCalkin Rig · 59 km · clear daysWatches · 2 kmBishop Forest Hill · 65 km · clear daysWhitbarrow · 46 km · clear daysBainloch Hill · 46 km · clear daysKillyleoch Hill · 65 km · clear daysSlieve Donard · 186 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 100 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 94 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 96 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 84 km · a rare clear dayWindlestraw Law · 115 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 110 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 185 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 91 km · a rare clear dayWard's Stone · 78 km · a rare clear dayDivis · 184 km · a handful of days a yearWhite Coomb · 87 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 109 km · a rare clear dayCairnharrow · 77 km · a rare clear dayAgnew's Hill · 180 km · a handful of days a yearCauldcleuch Head · 75 km · a rare clear dayColt Hill · 90 km · a rare clear dayDun Rig · 103 km · a rare clear dayWinter Hill · 121 km · a handful of days a yearPeel Fell · 81 km · a rare clear dayBlackwood Hill · 73 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Long Side, by direction
  • North-east: Skiddaw (1 km), Broad End (2 km)
  • East: Skiddaw Middle Top (1 km), Skiddaw South Top (1 km)
  • South-east: Great Dodd (12 km), Stybarrow Dodd (13 km), Raise (14 km), White Side (15 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (16 km), Catstye Cam (16 km), Helvellyn (16 km), Nethermost Pike (17 km), High Crag (18 km), High Raise (25 km)
  • South: Great Gable (18 km), Kirk Fell (19 km), Great End (20 km), Esk Pike (21 km), Broad Crag (21 km), Ill Crag (21 km), Scafell Pike (22 km), Bowfell (22 km), Scafell (22 km), Shelter Crags (23 km), Crinkle Crags (23 km), Crinkle Crags (23 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (24 km), Swirl How (28 km), The Old Man of Coniston (31 km)
  • South-west: Eel Crag (10 km), Crag Hill (10 km), Grasmoor (11 km), High Stile (16 km), High Stile (16 km), Pillar (18 km), Black Crag (19 km), Steeple (19 km), Scoat Fell (19 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (186 km, Ireland), Merrick (100 km, Scotland), Snaefell (94 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (96 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Fleet (84 km, Scotland), Corserine (95 km, Scotland), Windlestraw Law (115 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (95 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 Long Side

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
89Wainwrights in view+6 marginal
101 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 ScotlandNW · 101 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 95 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 45 km distant
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 34 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterW · 32 km in view
All 89 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Ullock Pike, Carl Side, Dodd (Skiddaw), Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man, Barf, Lord's Seat, Broom Fell, Sale Fell, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Ling Fell, Barrow, Longlands Fell, Graystones (Graystones North Top), Binsey, Walla Crag, Grisedale Pike, Outerside, Causey Pike, Cat Bells (Catbells), Scar Crags, High Rigg (Naddle Fell), Hopegill Head, Sail, Bleaberry Fell, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), Maiden Moor, Grasmoor, High Seat, Raven Crag, Great Dodd, High Spy, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Watson's Dodd, Hindscarth, Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Robinson, Castle Crag, Low Fell, Stybarrow Dodd, Dale Head, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Raise, White Side, Fleetwith Pike, Burnbank Fell, High Stile, High Crag (Buttermere), Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Catstye Cam, Helvellyn, Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Eagle Crag, Nethermost Pike, Base Brown, Sergeant's Crag, Glaramara, Pillar, Green Gable, Great Gable, Kirk Fell, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Steeple, High Raise (High White Stones), Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Seat Sandal, Sergeant Man, Allen Crags, Great End, Thunacar Knott, Esk Pike, Great Rigg, Pike of Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Scafell Pike, Bowfell, Scafell, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Pike of Blisco, Cold Pike, Great Carrs, Wetherlam, Swirl How, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Dow Crag

How Long Side’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 Long Side

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

Dodd Wood (paid) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)
Forestry car park for Dodd, Carl Side and the Ullock Pike ridge onto Skiddaw.
Directions
🚺 Dodd Wood Car Park (79m) — Free☕ The Old Sawmill Tearoom
Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside) — 3.8 km from summit (straight line)
Dash Falls track — Bakestall, Great Calva, Skiddaw the quiet way.
Directions

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.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd route:

🛖 map (5 m)🚌 Mirehouse (S bound) (55 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

Buses to Long Side 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 Long Side (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Navigating Long Side in cloud

Straightforward

Walkable ground sits close to a lethal drop — in cloud it’s easy to walk straight onto steep ground. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

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 Long Side 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 Long Side

Maps & guidebooks for Long Side

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