⛰️ Red Screes

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

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779 mWainwright — Eastern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+2 bonus Birketts within 3 km

📖 Key Information

Red Screes at 776m (2,546ft) stands dramatically above the Kirkstone Pass, its steep red scree slopes giving the fell its name and making it one of the most recognisable profiles above the A592. Wainwright was enthusiastic about it, noting the outstanding views from the summit across Windermere and south to Morecambe Bay — among the finest low-elevation views in the district. The direct ascent from the Kirkstone Inn is steep but short, while the ridge approach via Middle Dodd is more sustained. The views north to the Helvellyn range and across Kirkstone Pass to Place Fell are equally impressive.

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

🎯 Bonus Birketts 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.

1.0 km ESESt Raven's Edge593 m · Far Eastern
2.1 km NECaudale Moor - John Bell's Banner755 m · Far Eastern

⚠️ Hazard & Incident Information

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🦶 My hikes over Red Screes (Strava)

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🅿️ Potential parking

Kirkstone Pass (laybys / inn) — 0.4 km from summit (straight line)
High start for Red Screes (30 min!), Caudale Moor and Middle Dodd.
Directions ↗
Pelter Bridge, Rydal (paid) — 4.1 km from summit (straight line)
For Loughrigg and the Rydal side of the Fairfield Horseshoe.
Directions ↗

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

🚌 Buses from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”
Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)
Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)
The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.
Stagecoach 555
Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.

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

🌦️ 7-day summit forecast

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Other fells in this region

Open Red Screes in the interactive explorer ↗