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

Wainwright — Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

Scoat Fell at 841m (2,759ft) is the broad, high ridge connecting Pillar to Red Pike (Wasdale) and Haycock, a summit of wide views but modest individual character.

841 m
Height
~6–7.5 h
Typical time
+6
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX → Parking & buses →
841 mWainwright — Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km Severe in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 841 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Sat 12 Sep): 12° to 6°C, gusts to 45 mph, 46.7 mm of rain forecast.

Sat 12 Sep
🌧️
12° / 6°
💨 45 mph
🌧 46.7 mm (100%)
Sun 13 Sep
☁️
12° / 7°
💨 19 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (6%)
Mon 14 Sep
🌧️
13° / 10°
💨 39 mph
🌧 10.1 mm (100%)
Tue 15 Sep
🌧️
13° / 8°
💨 39 mph
🌧 16.5 mm (98%)
Wed 16 Sep
🌧️
9° / 7°
💨 31 mph
🌧 7.6 mm (70%)
Thu 17 Sep
🌧️
8° / 7°
💨 35 mph
🌧 25.8 mm (100%)
Fri 18 Sep
🌧️
10° / 6°
💨 37 mph
🌧 19.2 mm (92%)

Forecast snapshot from 12 Sep 2026, 15:36 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 841 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) at a glance

Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), a Lake District fell
Photo: Michael Graham, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Scoat Fell at 841m (2,759ft) is the broad, high ridge connecting Pillar to Red Pike (Wasdale) and Haycock, a summit of wide views but modest individual character. Wainwright noted its commanding position on the main Ennerdale-Wasdale ridge, the highest of the fells between Pillar and Haycock. The views south to the Scafells and east to Great Gable are excellent. Most naturally reached from Wasdale via Black Sail or from Ennerdale, combined with Steeple and Haycock for a rewarding circuit of the western ridge.

Routes up Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

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

Classifications & hill data

Wainwright
Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
841 m
Height
2,759 ft
In feet
NY 1593 1139
Grid ref

The short answers

Is Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) a Wainwright?

Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list and the Fellranger list.

Where do you park for Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)?

We hold no car park within 2.5 km of the summit, so there is no short walk-in to recommend here. We only look within 2.5 km, measured straight-line: over longer distances a road may cross a pass and the drive bears no relation to the line.

Parking & buses for Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

Best parking to hike Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

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

Car park for Yewbarrow (free) — 4.0 km from summit (straight line)
1.3 km from Yewbarrow. Added from the 5 Aug 2026 OSM candidate review.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Lake Head, Wasdale (NT, paid) — 4.5 km from summit (straight line)
Walking base for Great Gable, Kirk Fell and Scafell Pike — the 'Great Gable & Kirk Fell' route starts 10 m away. Also serves 'Scafell Pike from Wasdale, by Lingmell Col'. National Trust's access statement records a pay-and-display machine here (National Trust, January 2024) but does not say which payment methods it takes; the same document notes mobile reception is poor across Wasdale, so carry coins as well as a card. Compacted surface (OSM-tagged). Toilets on site.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?

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.

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Getting to Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) by bus

We don’t know yet. Wasdale Explorer (seasonal) serves this area, but we don’t hold its stop positions, so we can’t measure the walk from it — and we won’t tell you to drive on the strength of a gap in our own data. Check the operator’s timetable.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Hazards on Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

Hazard & Incident Information for Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

Hazard: Moderate

A remote, boulder-strewn fell at the head of the Mosedale Horseshoe, with its back to Ennerdale and dramatic crags ringing its northern coves. The walking is rough rather than technical, but the summit area is awkward boulder ground with pathless sections that demand good navigation, the drops on the north side are serious, and the narrow link out to Steeple is exposed. It is deep, committing country a long way from help — Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team's ground.

  • Northern crags above the Ennerdale coves: The summit slopes gently to the south but breaks into impressive crags on its northern side, above the Ennerdale coves. In cloud or wind keep well back from the northern edge — the easy boulder top gives little warning before the drop.
  • The narrow link to Steeple: The short ridge out to Steeple is narrow and exposed, with a steep drop, and becomes serious when banked with snow or iced. Cross it carefully and avoid it in fierce wind; it is the spot most likely to catch you out here.
  • Boulder summit, pathless ground & remoteness: The top is awkward boulder terrain with faint or absent paths, easy to misread in mist. It is also a long way from any road in every direction. Navigate by compass, carry full kit and a means of calling for help, and allow plenty of time and daylight.
Who should attempt this fell: Scoat Fell is rough, remote and quietly serious. Keep well back from the northern crags, treat the Steeple ridge with real respect (and avoid it in wind or winter unless competent and equipped), and be confident with map and compass for the bouldery, pathless top. Plan for the remoteness above all — carry what you need, leave time to spare, and turn back if conditions close in.

Most common causes: Walkers straying toward the northern crags in poor visibility · Slips on the narrow, exposed ridge to Steeple, especially in snow or ice · Navigation errors over the boulder summit and pathless sections in cloud · Difficulties compounded by remoteness and a long walk-out

Local Mountain Rescue: Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · Reviewed 14 Jun 2026

Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. 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 (opens in new tab)

Navigating Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) in cloud

Severe

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. 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 Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Car park for Yewbarrow (free), about 4.0 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Scoat Fell (Little Scoat 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.

0.7 km ENEBlack Crag828 m · Western
1.6 km NEPillar Rock780 m · Western
2.0 km WSWLittle Gowder Crag734 m · Western
2.5 km NWLingmell (Ennerdale)427 m · Western
2.7 km ELooking Stead (Pillar)628 m · Western
2.7 km SEYewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag)617 m · Western

Routes over Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

16.55 km · ~1303 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

26.76 km · ~1743 m ascent · loop · ~8–11 h

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

On the hill: terrain and water on Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

Water & shelter on the way up

💧 Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is usually a tap or public supply, but never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock or a carcass upstream and leave you seriously ill. Run it through a filter or purifier (a LifeStraw, Sawyer Squeeze or HydraPak) or bring it to a rolling boil first.

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

The view from Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

The 360° skyline from Scoat Fell (Little Scoat 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 Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)36 labelled tops shown (24 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 7 kmScafell · 7 kmHelvellyn · 19 kmSkiddaw · 20 kmGreat End · 7 kmGreat Gable · 5 kmPillar · 1 kmRaise · 19 kmFairfield · 20 kmBlencathra · 23 kmGrasmoor · 9 kmCrag Hill · 10 kmRed Screes · 24 kmDow Crag · 17 kmJenkin Hill · 20 kmHarrison Stickle · 13 kmWhite Maiden · 18 kmBlack Combe · 26 kmSteeple · 0 kmHaycock · 2 kmRed Pike · 4 kmLittle Gowder Crag · 2 kmCriffel · 54 km · clear daysSeatallan · 4 kmIllgill Head · 6 kmLittle Dodd · 4 kmMiddle Fell · 4 kmHerdus · 6 kmLank Rigg · 7 kmCaw · 18 kmCrag Fell · 7 kmGale Fell · 6 kmMellbreak · 7 kmGreen Crag · 14 kmGrike · 8 kmBuckbarrow · 6 kmBroad Crag · 7 kmNethermost Pike · 19 kmEsk Pike · 9 kmDollywaggon Pike · 19 kmStybarrow Dodd · 20 kmHigh Stile · 4 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 18 kmDove Crag · 22 kmSail · 10 kmLonscale Fell · 20 kmBowscale Fell · 26 kmBrown Pike · 18 kmHigh Stile · 4 kmCaw Fell · 3 kmHarter Fell · 13 kmWhitfell · 18 kmBlake Fell · 10 kmKnott Rigg · 8 kmWatendlath Fell · 13 kmHesk Fell · 17 kmGreat Worm Crag · 15 kmFox Haw · 19 kmGreat Knoutberry Hill · 67 km · clear daysDent · 12 kmBowness Knott · 6 kmBrown How · 6 kmSeat How · 14 kmClints Crags · 24 kmWatch Hill · 20 kmMuncaster Fell · 14 kmSnowdon · 166 km · a handful of days a yearSlieve Donard · 174 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 104 km · a rare clear dayAran Fawddwy · 191 km · a handful of days a yearBroad Law · 112 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 80 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 103 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 86 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 125 km · a handful of days a yearSlieve Croob · 174 km · a handful of days a yearYr Eifl · 185 km · a handful of days a yearMoel y Gamelin · 165 km · a handful of days a yearDivis · 176 km · a handful of days a yearWhite Coomb · 104 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 121 km · a handful of days a yearBeneraird · 122 km · a handful of days a yearAgnew's Hill · 174 km · a handful of days a yearColt Hill · 99 km · a rare clear dayShining Tor · 161 km · a handful of days a yearDodd Fell Hill · 73 km · a rare clear dayTurner Cleuch Law · 110 km · a rare clear dayEllson Fell · 91 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 116 km · a rare clear dayMull Hill · 106 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), by direction
  • North: High Stile (4 km), Grasmoor (9 km), Crag Hill (10 km), Eel Crag (10 km)
  • North-east: Pillar (1 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (20 km), Skiddaw Little Man (20 km), Skiddaw South Top (20 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (20 km), Skiddaw (20 km), Skiddaw North Top (20 km), Broad End (21 km), Knowe Crags (22 km), Gategill Fell Top (22 km), Blencathra (23 km), Atkinson Pike (24 km)
  • East: Great Gable (5 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (18 km), High Crag (18 km), Nethermost Pike (19 km), White Side (19 km), Helvellyn (19 km), Dollywaggon Pike (19 km), Raise (19 km), Stybarrow Dodd (20 km), Fairfield (20 km), Cofa Pike (20 km), Green Side (21 km), Hart Crag (21 km), St Sunday Crag (21 km), High Street (28 km), Rampsgill Head (28 km), High Raise (29 km)
  • South-east: Scafell (7 km), Scafell Pike (7 km), Broad Crag (7 km), Great End (7 km), Ill Crag (8 km), Esk Pike (9 km), The Old Man of Coniston (18 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (166 km, Wales), Slieve Donard (174 km, Ireland), Carnedd Llewelyn (154 km, Wales), Merrick (104 km, Scotland), Aran Fawddwy (191 km, Wales), Broad Law (112 km, Scotland), Snaefell (80 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (163 km, Wales).

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 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (on 1 August) first light is only 17 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

30°40°50°60°04:37
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
Midsummer04:37 BST ±5.0 min04:38-1 min
Equinox06:16 GMT ±5.0 min06:16
Midwinter08:32 GMT ±5.0 min08:34-2 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.44°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) holds the light. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does the sun leave this summit before almanac sunset — the ground falls away westward rather than standing over you, and at midsummer it is still in the sun 5 minutes after the valley has lost it.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
Last lightAlmanac sunsetDifference
Midsummer21:58 BST ±5.0 min21:53+5 min
Equinox18:33 GMT ±5.0 min18:27+6 min
Midwinter15:58 GMT ±5.0 min15:50+8 min

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 Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell). 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. 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.

What you can see from Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
78Wainwrights in view+16 marginal
166 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
3Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth, Morecambe Bay

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

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 166 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 151 km clear
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 105 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 80 km clear
  • Great Dun Fell North PenninesENE · 59 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 55 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 44 km in view
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuarySSE · 43 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterWNW · 27 km in view
All 78 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

How Scoat Fell (Little Scoat 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.

Places to stay near this fell

We have not verified an independent place near this fell — these are the chains and charities that serve it.

YHA Wasdale Hall (opens in new tab) hostel

about 3.3 km from the start, in a straight line

Ranked above the nearer campsite on usefulness, per rule 2. For a party coming off Scafell Pike wet at 6pm this is the only bed within 3 miles of this start that its own page proves has a drying room, parking, a cot, a highchair, a served breakfast from 07:30 and evening meals until 20:00 - the campsite 1.7 km closer has none of drying, breakfast or any food service. Reception is open 17:00-22:00 so a late arrival is expected rather than a problem. Dogs are the one hard no for an ordinary booking.

Worth knowing: “Pets - including dogs - are not permitted in our hostels when staying in a dorm or a private room.”

The lounge fire surround was salvaged from York Minster. The hall was built in 1829 for Stansfield Rawson, a Yorkshire banker, was a lakeside summer home before the National Trust took it on, and only became a hostel in 1969 - it was called YHA Wastwater until 2015.

  • Drying room “Shared drying room”
  • Family rooms “What our private rooms offer Bed linen Central heating Cot available Heating Hot water Lock on doors”
  • Evening meal “Meals are also available from 17:00”
  • Packed lunch “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something tasty to eat at YHA Wasdale Hall”
  • Parking “Parking: There is parking at the hostel.”
  • Children “Under 12s are not permitted in dorm rooms. Children under 3 can stay with us for free.”

YHA Black Sail (opens in new tab) hostel

about 3.9 km from the start, in a straight line

Included because it is genuinely on this walk's ground - Black Sail sits over the pass at the head of Ennerdale and the page names the peaks the Mosedale horseshoe crosses: "superb access to nearby peaks including Great Gable, Pillar, Red Pike and Steeple". For a walker it answers the 6pm questions properly: an evening menu, breakfast from 07:30, a licensed bar, a self-catering kitchen, ground-floor rooms and a cot. But the 3.93 km on this row is straight-line over the ridge and must never be read as an approach: by their own statement the nearest road is 2.5 miles away and cars stop at Bowness Knott, six miles down the valley. No dogs unless you take the whole building, no phone signal, no WiFi, and no way for us to contact them - emails[] is empty and no contact form was found.

Worth knowing: “Pets are not permitted at YHA Black Sail, except when hiring the whole hostel through YHA Exclusive Hire.”

It is a former shepherds' bothy at the head of Ennerdale, and its two toilets and single shower are outside the building - YHA's own page tells guests to bring a torch for the walk out at night. There is no mains-fed arrival at all: the nearest road is 2.5 miles away.

  • Family rooms “One room that sleeps up to 8 people. It includes 4 sets of bunk beds. A cot is available.”
  • Evening meal “Evening menu at YHA Black Sail Take your pick from today's selection of hearty classics and delicious desserts.”
  • Packed lunch “This hostel offers group catering for pre-booked groups of 16 people or more.”
  • Parking “YHA Black Sail is only accessible by foot or bike. The nearest road is 2.5 miles away in the Buttermere valley, accessing the hostel via 'Scarth Gap pass'.”
  • Children “Guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or over to stay at YHA.”

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)

Is Scoat Fell hard?

Rough rather than steep, and remote rather than difficult. The top is a wide expanse of boulders with a wall running across it, and the walking is the slow, ankle-testing kind rather than anything that needs care with your hands.

The seriousness is in the position. It sits at the head of the Mosedale Horseshoe with its back to Ennerdale and crags ringing the northern coves, and our route over it is 16.6 km with 1303 m of ascent. You are a long way from a road up here in either direction, and that — not the climbing — is what to plan around.

Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-08-30 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Other fells near Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)