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Rannerdale Knotts - the summit rocks above Crummock Water, with Mellbreak across the lake to the left and Grasmoor's slopes to the right under a sky of broken cloud

Rannerdale Knotts

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355 mWainwright — North Western Fells+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km

Rannerdale Knotts at 355m (1,165ft) is a small, delightful ridge of rocky knolls above Crummock Water, giving some of the finest views of the lake from any fell in the North Western Fells. Wainwright included it in his North Western Fells guide.

Summit conditions on Rannerdale Knotts

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 13° to 7°C, gusts to 60 mph, 5.6 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Against our lines, Tuesday 27 October: wind, cold and cloud from the Met Office UKV 2 km model (daylight hours, as in the verdict above); rain from the summit line’s forecast (the whole day). A tile is large when this top is past its line.

Wind on the top

Past the line

57 mph, our estimate for the open top in the worst daylight hour

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 47 mph times our exposure factor of 1.22. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 60 mph, before any exposure factor.

The line Our line: 25 mph, where our wind Scale begins its 25–35 band: “balance affected; buffeting on exposed ground”. MWIS describes what wind does to a walker across a range rather than at a line: from about 20–25 mph it starts to affect your balance.

Estimated: it is not calibrated against summit readings, and the two forecasts can disagree by more than a band.

Also checked cold: feels like 4 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 38 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20; rain: 5.6 mm in the day, under our 6 mm line. Under a line is not the same as fine: it means only that these figures are under the lines we use.

Not in these tiles Lightning, river levels, snow or ice already lying, and the ground under your feet. A tile cannot see them, so an empty space here never means they are absent.

Snow figures with a second opinion: Powered by Met Office data

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

Wainwrights are scored for walking conditions each morning from the Met Office’s UK forecast model, read for each summit through Open-Meteo; the forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Routes up Rannerdale Knotts

Choose the way up before the car park: these four routes start from three places, and the last two rows give the parking and bus at each route’s own start. Full maps further down.

The Grasmoor RoundThe Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless PikeRannerdale Knotts from ButtermereRannerdale bluebell valley and Rannerdale Knotts
Starts fromLanthwaite Green (paid)Lanthwaite Green (paid)Buttermere villageCinderdale Common, Crummock Water
Distance and climb16.17 km, 1,304 m of climb16.17 km, 1,161 m of climb4 km, 265 m of climb6.19 km, 394 m of climb
Time, fast to steady~5¼–7¼ h~5–7 h~1–1¾ h~1¾–2¾ h
ScramblingEasy scramble: the last 100 m up Hopegill Head from Whiteside (km 3.6–3.7). In the final 100 metres before the peak, where the hands-on scramble begins, take the left-hand line straight up onto the rocky peak.Easy scramble: the last 100 m up Hopegill Head from Whiteside (km 3.5–3.6). Gasgale Crags is a narrow, airy ridge, and the last 100 m up Hopegill Head is an easy scramble — no place to slip.Hands for a few steps: the rocky ground just west of the top, at the start of the descent (km 2.2–2.3).Hands for a few steps: the rocky ground just past the top, at the start of the descent (km 4.4–4.5).
ExposureHardHardNot assessedNot assessed
NavigationModerateHardModerateModerate
Steepest stretchClimb of about 39% at 1.6 km (Severe)Climb of about 41% at 1.5 km (Severe)Descent of about 38% at 2.4 km (Severe)Descent of about 37% at 4.8 km (Severe)
After the summitNo further topsNo further topsNo further topsNo further tops
Walked or plannedWalked by Lee, August 2026Walked by Lee, August 2026Walked in part; km 0.0–0.9, km 2.8–4.0 from the mapPlanned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the startLanthwaite Green (paid)Lanthwaite Green (paid)Buttermere village (NT, paid)unnamed car park south of Crummock Water, Cinderdale Common (free)
Bus to the start77 at the start. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.77 at the start. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.77, 450 m walk from Buttermere, outside Court Hotel. The 77A runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.77 at the start

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

Is Rannerdale Knotts an easy walk?

Easy to moderate — at 355 m (1,165 ft) it's one of the smallest Wainwrights, climbed in about an hour. The paths are good, but the direct ridge has a brief rocky step or two where you'll use a hand for balance — momentary, not a scramble in any real sense.

If you'd rather avoid even that, the gentler line up Rannerdale itself (the valley behind) reaches the ridge with less rocky ground. Wherever you come off, the descents are steep, and the ridge’s north-west end drops suddenly in a wall of crag and scree to the valley by Crummock Water, so keep back from it.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 355 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast
Tue 27 Oct
13° / 7°
60 mph
5.6 mm (100%)
Wed 28 Oct
11° / 8°
43 mph
5.7 mm (100%)
Thu 29 Oct
10° / 9°
25 mph
0.7 mm (26%)
Fri 30 Oct
11° / 8°
25 mph
0.0 mm (31%)
Sat 31 Oct
12° / 3°
8 mph
0.0 mm (25%)
Sun 1 Nov
9° / 2°
5 mph
0.0 mm (12%)
Mon 2 Nov
9° / 2°
15 mph
0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 08:13 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Rannerdale Knotts

Parking

Where do you park for Rannerdale Knotts?

The roadside parking at Cinderdale Common, on the Crummock Water road just below the fell, is the usual start (note the Crummock-side parking is not National Trust). The National Trust car park at Buttermere village (pay and display, just outside the village towards Cockermouth) works for a longer approach along the lake shore — the NT's own Buttermere-to-Rannerdale trail starts there.

Be warned: in bluebell season (late April–May) the Cinderdale parking fills very early — arrive first thing or start from Buttermere.

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Lanthwaite Green — 0.1 km from the start of The Grasmoor Round and The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike (straight line)
At the foot of Grasmoor and Whiteside, Crummock Water. Fees: £7 up to 2 hours; £8 up to 4 hours; £9.50 all day. Free for National Trust members (National Trust, read 28 September 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
Buttermere village (NT, paid) — at the start of Rannerdale Knotts from Buttermere
For Red Pike, High Stile, Robinson, Rannerdale Knotts. Fees: pay and display (LDNP directory, checked August 2026). £7 up to 2 hours; £8 up to 4 hours; £9.50 all day. Free for NT members (checked August 2026). Charges apply at all times. Cash at machine; JustPark app at some car parks; card/phone payment not available in all car parks (NT, checked August 2026).
Typically full before 10:00 on fine weekends, Apr-Oct — Lee McCoy, local observation, 9 August 2026.
Directions Something changed here?
If it is full: High Snockrigg (verge) (0.6 km, 20 m up); Car park for Rannerdale Knotts (1.7 km, 139 m up)
Buttermere village (~285 m straight line) — Accessible Syke Farm Tea Room Croft House Farm Café The Buttermere Court Hotel
Crummock Water, Cinderdale Common, south (free) — at the start of Rannerdale bluebell valley and Rannerdale Knotts
Beside the B5289 at Cinderdale Common, by Crummock Water. The nearest route start is 'Rannerdale bluebell valley and Rannerdale Knotts', which starts here; 'The Grasmoor Round' starts at Lanthwaite Green, 1.6 km on foot. Gravel verge.
Directions Something changed here?
3 more places to park near Rannerdale Knotts
Car park for Rannerdale Knotts — 0.4 km from summit (straight line)
Beside the B5289 on the shore of Crummock Water, at the foot of Rannerdale Knotts. The nearest route starts are in Buttermere village, among them 'Scale Fell and Mellbreak', 1.7 km on foot. Added from the 5 August 2026 OSM candidate review.
Directions Something changed here?
Rannerdale Knotts (layby) — 0.5 km from summit (straight line)
On the B5289 between Buttermere village and Crummock Water, about 1.1 km north-west of the village. The nearest route starts are in the village: 'The Buttermere Ridge', 0.8 km on foot, and 'Scale Fell and Mellbreak', 0.9 km on foot. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Rannerdale Knotts, south (layby) — 0.5 km from summit (straight line)
On the B5289 between Buttermere village and Crummock Water, about 1.1 km north-west of the village. The nearest route starts are in the village: 'The Buttermere Ridge', 0.8 km on foot, and 'Scale Fell and Mellbreak', 0.8 km on foot. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The 77 stops at Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite), a 20 m walk from the start of The Grasmoor Round — a route we rate Severe overall (hardest: steepness). Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. It returns on 22 March 2027. Confirmed with the operator: its last day on 29 August 2026, its return on 16 October 2026. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (77): Tuesday to Sunday 18:03. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 12 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawes End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (Summer 2026 timetable: 23 March to 1 November 2026). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Rannerdale Knotts

Hazard & Incident Information for Rannerdale Knotts

Checked by Lee McCoy, . Draws on published material from Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Moderate

One of the lowest fells in the Lakes at 355 m, and a popular short outing above Crummock Water — but craggier than its modest height suggests. It's a steep-sided little ridge of rocky knolls that ends abruptly in a wall of crag and scree dropping to the lake, and the routes thread among those crags. Easy access and fame for its bluebells bring many casual walkers onto genuinely steep ground. Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team covers this fell.

  • The craggy north-west end above Crummock: The ridge ends suddenly in a wall of crag and scree falling steeply to the valley by Crummock Water. Keep back from the abrupt end and the edges among the summit knolls, especially in wind or cloud — it's a small fell with a real drop.
  • The summit gully vs the zigzag: At the rocky summit crags the path forks: straight on is a steeper rocky gully between the crags, while keeping right gives a gentler zigzag. Take the easier line if you're unsure of steep, rocky ground, and don't push into the gully when wet.
  • Rough, steep descent & casual walkers: Descents drop through the crags on rough, steep, partly stone-pitched paths. With many first-time and family walkers drawn here, wear proper footwear, take the steep sections carefully, and keep children back from the crag edges.
Who should attempt this fell: Rannerdale Knotts is a lovely short fell, but don't be fooled by its height — it ends in real crags above Crummock Water. Keep back from the steep edges, take the gentler zigzag rather than the gully if you're not sure of rocky ground, wear proper footwear for the steep descent, and take care in the wet or in winter.

What to watch for: Walkers straying onto or over the craggy north-west end above Crummock · Slips in the steeper summit gully or on the rough, steep descent · Casual visitors underestimating a low but craggy fell · Winter ice on the rocky knolls and steep paths

Local Mountain Rescue: Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team

Safety: Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information

Navigating in cloud

Not graded by the model

Our terrain model finds nothing to grade on this summit, so it gives no cloud grade here — that is not a sign of easy navigation. Read this fell’s hazard notes and the route pages before a day in cloud. Carry map and compass, and know how to use them.

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 Rannerdale Knotts compares with all 214: the Clag Index (experimental).

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Rannerdale Knotts

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.

1.1 km NNELad Hows426 m · North Western
1.8 km WSWScale Knott338 m · Western
2.1 km NEThirdgill Head Man734 m · North Western
2.4 km ESEHigh Snockrigg526 m · North Western
2.5 km SDodd (Buttermere)641 m · Western
2.7 km WNWMellbreak North Top509 m · Western

Routes over Rannerdale Knotts

The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike
Summits: Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)Gasgale CragsHopegill HeadSand HillGrasmoorWandopeThirdgill Head ManWhiteless PikeRannerdale Knotts

If you only do one round in the North Western Fells, this is it. Grasmoor is a bigger, wilder mountain than its modest reputation suggests, and the ridge from Whiteside over Gasgale Crags to Hopegill Head is as good as ridge walking gets outside the Langdales. Whiteless Pike at the end is a perfect little peak — and a punishing descent.

Download GPX Walked by Lee, August 2026

Best season: Late spring to autumn, in clear conditions. Gasgale Crags is narrow and rocky, and Grasmoor’s summit plateau is a blank, stony expanse that is thoroughly disorientating in cloud.

Warnings: The climb straight up Whiteside from Lanthwaite is brutally steep — a relentless, loose, eroded pull with little respite. It is the hardest 500 m on this route and it comes first. Gasgale Crags is a narrow, rocky ridge. It is not a graded scramble like Sharp Edge, but the last 100 m up Hopegill Head is an easy scramble, the ridge is airy, the rock is loose in places, and it wants care in wind or wet. Grasmoor’s summit is a featureless stony plateau with crags on three sides. In cloud it is a genuine navigation trap — take a bearing before you leave the cairn. The descent off Whiteless Pike is a knee-breaker — steep, sustained and relentless, right at the end of a long day. It is one of the steepest sustained descents in the Lakes. A long day with 1,161 m of ascent and ten tops. Navigation is graded hard: the high ground is broad and the drops are real. The path runs right around the edge of Addacomb Hole, a steep half-crater with a high headwall. Keep back from the rim, especially in wind or cloud — a slip here drops into serious ground. Don't approach the lip for the view in poor visibility. Rannerdale Knotts: The ridge ends suddenly in a wall of crag and scree falling steeply to the valley by Crummock Water. Keep back from the abrupt end and the edges among the summit knolls, especially in wind or cloud — it's a small fell with a real drop. Whiteside (Whiteside West Top): The ridge towers above Gasgale Gill on a wall of crag. Keep back from the southern edge, particularly in cloud or wind where the drop comes with little warning.

From the hazard notes for Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) · Rannerdale Knotts, each with its sources.

Route guide →

Rannerdale Knotts from Buttermere
Summits: Rannerdale Knotts

Rannerdale, the valley on the north-east side of the ridge, is known for its bluebells in May. This line passes the head of that valley at about 1 km and keeps to the ridge above it; it does not go down through the valley. The start is the National Trust car park in Buttermere village.

Download GPX Walked in part, August 2026 · km 0.0–0.9, km 2.8–4.0 from the map

Warnings: The line follows the B5289 for about 0.3 km between about 3.2 and 3.5 km, and for a few metres at the start and the finish. OpenStreetMap does not record whether that road has a pavement. About 1.4 km of the line, in pieces, follows paths that OpenStreetMap does not record as public rights of way. The longest are about 0.8 km on the way up, between about 0.3 and 1.05 km, and about 0.4 km of paths near the end, between about 3.5 and 3.9 km. The rest is public footpaths, a public bridleway and the road. That is a map-data note, not a ruling on access: check the access land and rights of way maps before relying on this stretch.

Route guide →

Rannerdale bluebell valley and Rannerdale Knotts
Summits: Rannerdale Knotts

Rannerdale, the valley on the north-east side of Rannerdale Knotts, is known for its bluebells in May. This line goes up through it on the public footpath between about 1.9 and 3.1 km. Keep to the path through the flowers. The start is the free car park at Cinderdale Common, beside the B5289.

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: From the top the line goes down into Rannerdale on a steep path through the crags: about 37% sustained near 4.8 km, and the path crosses a mapped crag line near 4.7 km. The line crosses becks at four places OpenStreetMap maps as fords, near 0.45, 1.1, 2.7 and 6.0 km, and crosses Cinderdale Beck close to the car park at the start and the finish, where no bridge is mapped on the line. About 2.2 km of the line, in pieces, follows paths that OpenStreetMap does not record as public rights of way; the longest are about 0.7 km between about 0.8 and 1.5 km and about 0.5 km near the end, between about 5.6 and 6.05 km. The rest is public footpaths. That is a map-data note, not a ruling on access: check the access land and rights of way maps before relying on this stretch.

Route guide →

The Grasmoor Round
Summits: Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)Gasgale CragsHopegill HeadSand HillGrasmoorThirdgill Head ManWhiteless PikeRannerdale Knotts

Download GPX Walked by Lee, August 2026

Warnings: Rannerdale Knotts: The ridge ends suddenly in a wall of crag and scree falling steeply to the valley by Crummock Water. Keep back from the abrupt end and the edges among the summit knolls, especially in wind or cloud — it's a small fell with a real drop. Grasmoor: The top is broad, grassy and almost featureless, ringed by steep crags and gullies. In mist it is very easy to set off on the wrong bearing and end up above the cliffs or descending a dangerous flank. Take and trust a compass bearing before leaving the summit. Whiteside (Whiteside West Top): The ridge towers above Gasgale Gill on a wall of crag. Keep back from the southern edge, particularly in cloud or wind where the drop comes with little warning.

From the hazard notes for Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) · Grasmoor · Rannerdale Knotts, each with its sources.

Route guide →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Rannerdale Knotts

Water & shelter on the way up

On the The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 5 m off the line) Lanthwaite Green Farm (58 m from the start, straight line)

On the Rannerdale Knotts from Buttermere route:

Bridge Hotel (323 m from the start, straight line) The Fish Hotel (339 m from the start, straight line) Mountain Road junction (413 m from the start, straight line) Syke Farm Campsite (243 m from the start, straight line)

On the Rannerdale bluebell valley and Rannerdale Knotts route:

Crummock Water Car Park (S) (72 m from the start, straight line) Crummock Water Car Park (N) (79 m from the start, straight line)

On the The Grasmoor Round route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 3 m off the line) Lanthwaite Green Farm (4 m from the start, straight line)

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

About Rannerdale Knotts

Rannerdale Knotts - the summit rocks above Crummock Water, with Mellbreak across the lake to the left and Grasmoor's slopes to the right under a sky of broken cloud
© Lee McCoy

Famous for its carpet of bluebells in spring. The short ascent from Buttermere is thoroughly rewarding for the lake views. A perfect short afternoon fell for visitors to Buttermere.

Field notes

This is a busy fell as you can tell from all the posts on Instagram and it's understandable why: it's accessible, it's on a reasonably circular route if you want a trip out with kids or your not inclined to get a heavy sweat on. As I tried to descend I saw a couple coming out of the gap that takes you onto a perfectly flat resting spot - it's just to the left if you're going clockwise. I tried to descend that way and it stumped me. Our routes come off the ridge to the west and down to the road by Hause Point; if the line in front of you ends at a drop, go back to the ridge path rather than force it. A purist will find it too busy.

— Lee McCoy, who walked it on 3 of our routes

My Strava hikes over Rannerdale Knotts

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Selected lists

Wainwright
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
355 m
Height
1,165 ft
In feet
NY 1672 1825
Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

The summit is also a Birkett.

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

The view from Rannerdale Knotts

The 360° skyline from Rannerdale Knotts

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 Rannerdale Knotts25 labelled tops shown (5 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWBroad Crag · 12 kmGreat End · 12 kmGrasmoor · 2 kmHigh Stile · 3 kmHigh Crag · 4 kmRobinson · 4 kmCombe Head · 11 kmBrandreth · 8 kmDodd · 2 kmStarling Dodd · 4 kmGreat Borne · 5 kmHigh Snockrigg · 2 kmMellbreak · 2 kmMellbreak North Top · 3 kmHen Comb · 4 kmRed Pike · 3 kmThirdgill Head Man · 2 kmCriffel · 48 km · clear daysBanna Fell · 5 kmWhiteless Pike · 2 kmLow Fell · 5 kmDarling Fell · 6 kmBengairn · 54 km · clear daysScale Knott · 2 kmWhite Hill · 66 km · clear daysHigh Stile · 4 kmKirk Fell East Top · 8 kmGrey Knotts · 8 kmLoweswater Fell · 5 kmFellbarrow · 7 kmLad Hows · 1 kmBengray · 68 km · clear daysMerrick · 100 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 83 km · a rare clear dayGreen Lowther · 98 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 115 km · a rare clear dayHods Hill · 93 km · a rare clear day
The skyline as a list, by direction
  • North: Grasmoor (2 km)
  • North-east: Lad Hows (1 km), Whiteless Pike (2 km), Thirdgill Head Man (2 km)
  • East: Robinson (4 km)
  • South-east: High Snockrigg (2 km), Fleetwith Pike (6 km), Haystacks (6 km), Honister Crag (6 km), Grey Knotts (8 km), Brandreth (8 km), Kirk Fell East Top (8 km), Green Gable (9 km), Great Gable (9 km), Combe Head (11 km), Great End (12 km), Broad Crag (12 km), Ill Crag (12 km)
  • South: Dodd (2 km), Red Pike (3 km), High Stile (3 km), High Stile (4 km), High Crag (4 km)
  • South-west: Starling Dodd (4 km), Great Borne (5 km)
  • West: Scale Knott (2 km), Mellbreak (2 km), Hen Comb (4 km), Floutern Cop (5 km), Banna Fell (5 km)
  • North-west: Mellbreak North Top (3 km), Loweswater Fell (5 km), Low Fell (5 km), Darling Fell (6 km), Sourfoot Fell (6 km), Fellbarrow (7 km), Hatteringill Head (7 km), Criffel (48 km), Bengairn (54 km), Bengray (68 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Merrick (100 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Fleet (83 km, Scotland), Corserine (96 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (94 km, Scotland), Green Lowther (98 km, Scotland), Queensberry (83 km, Scotland), Cairn Table (115 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore [Black Craig of Dee] (82 km, Scotland).

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Rannerdale Knotts

Rannerdale Knotts waits for the sun. Its longest wait of the modelled year falls at midsummer, when the sun is up for 93 minutes before it clears this skyline — first light 06:10 against an almanac sunrise of 04:37. You are standing in shadow while the valley below is already lit. The sun comes up to the east-north-east from here (63.5°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 10.35°.

0°50°60°70°80°06:10
Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.
Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
First lightAlmanac sunriseDifference
Midsummer06:10 BST ±5.0 min04:37+93 min
Equinox06:37 GMT ±5.0 min06:16+21 min
Midwinter09:02 GMT ±5.0 min08:34+28 min

The northern horizon stands at about 5.92° from here.

Last light — when the sun leaves Rannerdale Knotts

Rannerdale Knotts loses the sun early. Its earliest evening of the modelled year falls at midwinter, when last light is 39 minutes before almanac sunset — 15:11 against 15:50. The sun goes down to the south-west from here (220.5°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 3.56°.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
Last lightAlmanac sunsetDifference
Midsummer21:55 BST ±5.0 min21:54+1 min
Equinox18:09 GMT ±5.0 min18:27-18 min
Midwinter15:11 GMT ±5.0 min15:50-39 min

These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

Rannerdale Knotts is one of our picked Lake District viewpoints — what you can see from it, when the light is best, and where to park.

What you can see from Rannerdale Knotts

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
18Wainwrights in view+2 marginal
101 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick · possible under favourable refraction
—Sea in viewnone from here

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland.

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 101 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 49 km clear
All 18 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Whiteless Pike, Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Grasmoor, Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, Starling Dodd, Robinson, High Crag (Buttermere), Great Borne, Low Fell, Fleetwith Pike, Haystacks (Buttermere), Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Grey Knotts, Brandreth, Green Gable, Great Gable, Great End

How the view from Rannerdale Knotts compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

How the skyline, light and sightlines are computed

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Rannerdale Knotts. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes.

Sightlines from the Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model, which is a surface model: each 30 m cell holds the top of whatever stands there, trees and buildings included, rather than bare ground. 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.

Places to stay near this fell

We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions about Rannerdale Knotts

Is Rannerdale Knotts an easy walk? Answered above.

How long does Rannerdale Knotts take? Answered above: Routes up Rannerdale Knotts.

Where do you park for Rannerdale Knotts? Answered above: Parking for Rannerdale Knotts.

When are the bluebells out at Rannerdale?

Typically from late April to mid-May, varying a week or two either way with the spring weather. The display is in the Rannerdale valley itself — the hidden valley behind the Knotts — not on the summit path, and it's unusual for growing in open fellside rather than woodland.

Please keep to the paths: the flowers are fragile, the display has been damaged by trampling in busy years, and the National Trust asks visitors not to walk or sit among the flowers for photographs.

Sources: National Trust — Buttermere Valley

Is Rannerdale Knotts a Wainwright, and where is it?

Yes — one of the smallest in the book. It's the little rocky ridge on the north-eastern shore of Crummock Water, between Buttermere village and the Lanthwaite end of the lake, with Grasmoor rising steeply behind it. Small fell, front-row view.

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-07-19 · Suggest a question or correction

Other fells near Rannerdale Knotts

Places nearby: Crummock Water · Scale Force