Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
Scout Scar's Wainwright summit, at 233m (764ft), is on the dramatic limestone escarpment above Kendal, its long, airy edge giving outstanding views of the Lakeland fells, the Pennines and Morecambe Bay.
Summit conditions on Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
On the summit on Thursday 29 October: 12° to 7°C, gusts to 11 mph, 1.0 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.
The forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →
Routes up Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.
Distance and climb are measured from the route’s GPX track, and the time from them by Naismith’s rule; the route page says what each grade rests on. How we check →
How hard is Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)?
The shortest way up we hold is Scout Scar from Kendal — 5.16 km, 96 m of ascent, ~1–1¾ h. On our scale its hardest axis is navigation — Moderate.
All axes: navigation: Moderate · length: Easy · steepness: Easy · terrain: Not assessed · exposure: Not assessed.
These are the route page’s grades, set by the rules on how we grade: length and steepness measured from its GPX track, the others set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap. The route page says which. How we check →
Conditions and 7-day summit forecast
Modelled for the 233 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.
Full 7-day forecast
Taken 29 October 2026, 09:00 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)
Parking & buses for Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
Parking
Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.
2 more places to park near Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
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 6C, 99, 530, 555, 755 and X6 stop at Kendal South, opposite Hadwins Garage. From there it is 1.6 km and 104 m of ascent to the start of Scout Scar from Kendal — a route we rate Moderate overall (hardest: navigation) — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 8.3 km in all, with the walk. We haven’t published last buses, Sunday or winter service yet, so check the timetable before you rely on getting back.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Hazards on Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
Hazard & Incident Information for Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
Checked by Lee McCoy, . Editorial background, not a live callout feed.
A low limestone escarpment above Kendal with an easy path along the top. Its one real hazard is the edge: the summit is about 50 m from Scout Scar's cliff, which runs for about 1.7 km along the west side of the top, with scree and bare limestone below it.
- The scarp edge: The cliff runs along the west side of the top, close to the path. Keep well back from the lip, and keep children and dogs close, especially in a strong wind.
- Wet limestone: Bare limestone on the top is slippery when wet or frosty. Take care on rock steps after rain.
What to watch for: Going too close to the edge for the view · Slips on wet limestone
Safety: Hazard guidance compiled by hikes.guide from our own fell notes, not from Mountain Rescue reports - 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.
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 (opens in new tab) (read 26 October 2026).
Map, GPX and nearby Birketts
Skip mapFree mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).
Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.
Birketts within 3 km of Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
No bonus Birketts within 3 km.
Routes over Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
The start is a small free car park on Brigsteer Road, about 1.1 km in a straight line from the nearest bus stops in Kendal, on Lumley Road, and about 2.3 km from Kendal station.
Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked
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 Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
Water & shelter on the way up
On the Scout Scar from Kendal route:
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.
About Scout Scar (Wainwright summit)
Classifications & hill data
Is Scout Scar (Wainwright summit) a Wainwright?
Scout Scar (Wainwright summit) is one of Wainwright's Outlying Fells, not one of the 214 in the Pictorial Guides.
Selected lists
This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.
The summit is not a Birkett top.
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 →