Skiddaw

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Summited June 2025

Home › Fells › Skiddaw

930 mWainwright — Northern Fells+9 bonus Birketts within 3 km

Skiddaw at 930m (3,052ft) is the fourth highest fell in England and one of Wainwright's great favourites for its distinctive character — a mountain of broad, smooth ridges and sweeping, slate-grey slopes quite unlike the rocky Central and Western Fells.

Summit conditions on Skiddaw

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 9° to 3°C, gusts to 61 mph, 16.0 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

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

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 53 mph times our exposure factor of 1.35. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 61 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 (opens in new tab) 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.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

16.0 mm of rain over the whole day, midnight to midnight

The same figure as the summit line above and the 7-day forecast.

The line Our line: 6 mm in the day, where our scorer counts a day as soaking. We read rainfall, never river levels: becks in spate.

Open-Meteo’s forecast. It says nothing about rain already in the ground.

Also checked cold: feels like −2 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 22 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20. 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 (opens in new tab)

Routes up Skiddaw

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.

Compared	Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun!	Up to Skiddaw Round Trip	Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd	Birketts North of Skiddaw
Starts from	Latrigg car park (free)	Latrigg car park (free)	Dodd Wood / Mirehouse forestry car park	Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside) (free)
Distance and climb	19.25 km, 1,118 m of climb	12.01 km, 849 m of climb	12.41 km, 1,123 m of climb	23.02 km, 1,472 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~5½–7¾ h	~3¾–5¼ h	~4¼–6 h	~7–9½ h
Scrambling	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Hands for a few steps: the Ullock Pike ridge, up to its top (about km 3.7). Mostly clear, popular tracks, with the odd bit of easy semi-scrambling on the Ullock Pike ridge and a loose scree pull onto Skiddaw.	Not mentioned in the route’s notes
Exposure	Easy	Moderate	Moderate	Not assessed
Navigation	Moderate	Moderate	Hard	Hard
Steepest stretch	Descent of about 29% at 10.3 km (Hard)	Climb of about 30% at 1.3 km (Hard)	Descent of about 33% at 8.2 km (Hard)	Descent of about 31% at 19.8 km (Hard)
After the summit	Over Broad End and Bakestall	Over Skiddaw South Top, Skiddaw Little Man and Skiddaw Lesser Man	Over Carl Side and Dodd (Skiddaw)	Over Skiddaw Middle Top, Skiddaw South Top, Sale How, Hare Crag, Great Calva, Frozen Fell and Little Calva
Walked or planned	Walked by Lee, June 2025	Walked in part; km 5.1–5.8, km 9.4–10.2 from the map	Walked by Lee, June 2025	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	Latrigg car park (free)	Latrigg car park (free)	Dodd Wood (paid)	Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside) (free)
Bus to the start	554, 2.5 km walk from Keswick, opposite The Pheasant	555, 2.6 km walk from Keswick, at Latrigg Close	X4 at the start	X4, 2.5 km walk from Bassenthwaite, opposite High Side Farm

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 →

How hard is Skiddaw, really?

Short version: Scafell Pike is the harder mountain — but Skiddaw is not the easy day its reputation suggests. This is the question people actually ask about Skiddaw, and on our own field-checked gradings the answer is clear: Scafell Pike is higher (978 m to 930 m), no longer on our routes (about 3–4¼ hours from Wasdale against 3¾–5¼ hours for our Skiddaw round), and harder on the axes that decide a day — terrain Hard against Moderate and navigation Severe against Moderate. Skiddaw’s great advantage is its path: a broad, graded track most of the way, where Scafell gives you boulder-field.

So can a beginner climb Skiddaw? Yes, by the Jenkin Hill path from Gale Road — it is one of the most achievable of the high fells for someone reasonably fit, and the path does the route-finding for you in clear weather. Our mapped route adds Lonscale Fell and Burnt Horse, which are steep and often wet. Allow about 3¾–5¼ hours' walking for our route from the Latrigg car park at the top of Gale Road (our route, walked in part by Lee June 2025): up over Lonscale Fell, onto the tourist path at Jenkin Hill, and back down past Little Man — 12 km and 849 m. It is a long, steady, unrelenting pull rather than anything technical: no scrambling, no exposure to speak of, no hands out of pockets.

The catch is mostly the weather, not the ground. Skiddaw’s difficulty is mostly conditions-shaped, and that is where its incidents come from. The ridge from Jenkin Hill to the summit is fully exposed with no shelter anywhere — gusts have knocked walkers off the path. The grassy upper slopes freeze hard and hold ice long after lower ground has cleared, and without an axe and crampons a slip there can turn into a long slide. And in cloud the featureless upper ridge is easy to follow confidently in the wrong direction — so carry a map and compass even on the tourist path. A graded track is not the same as a safe mountain: check the forecast, and treat a windy or frozen day on Skiddaw as seriously as you would a rougher fell.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 930 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

9° / 3°

61 mph

16.0 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

6° / 4°

44 mph

6.9 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

7° / 4°

28 mph

2.7 mm (6%)

Fri 30 Oct

7° / 4°

22 mph

0.0 mm (9%)

Sat 31 Oct

6° / 0°

8 mph

4.9 mm (12%)

Sun 1 Nov

5° / -2°

14 mph

0.8 mm (2%)

Mon 2 Nov

4° / -5°

6 mph

0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 20:59 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Skiddaw

Parking

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

Latrigg car park — 0.1 km from the start of Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! and Up to Skiddaw Round Trip (straight line)

Free car park at the top of Gale Road behind Latrigg — the shortest way up Skiddaw via Jenkin Hill, and 0.7 km from Latrigg itself. Gale Road runs a long way down and people park in random spots along it; this pin is the very top. Lee has confirmed in person. Three of our routes start within 70 m of the pin: 'Latrigg', 'Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun!' and 'Up to Skiddaw Round Trip'.

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Latrigg (verge) (2.5 km, 270 m up); Keswick, Crosthwaite Road (paid) (2.8 km, 289 m up); Keswick, Otley Road (paid) (3.0 km, 303 m up)

Dodd Wood (paid) — 0.1 km from the start of Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd (straight line)

Forestry car park for Dodd, Carl Side and the Ullock Pike ridge onto Skiddaw. Fees: First 20 min free; first hour £2.10; then £0.55 per 15 min; all-day max £13. ANPR pay-on-exit, one pay station beside the toilet block; blue badge holders not exempt; card or Park with Ease online within 48h; no charge if arriving car-free (Forestry England, checked August 2026). Open 24/7 (Forestry England, checked August 2026). Free for Forestry England members (checked August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

Dodd Wood Car Park (~76 m straight line) — Free The Old Sawmill Tearoom

Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside) — at the start of Birketts North of Skiddaw

Dash Falls track — Bakestall, Great Calva, Skiddaw the quiet way.

Directions Something changed here?

4 more places to park near Skiddaw

Watches, south-west (layby) — 2.6 km from summit (straight line)

Beside the A591 about 290 m north of the Ullock Pike car park. The 'Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd' route starts at Dodd Wood, 1.5 km south on foot. Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Ullock Pike car park (free) — 2.6 km from summit (straight line)

On the A591 below Ullock Pike, about 40 m from the Long Side Plantation bus stop and about 1.1 km east of the lake. The 'Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd' route starts at Dodd Wood, 1.2 km south on foot. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Dodd car park (free) — 3.0 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Dodd (Skiddaw) (1.7 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (1.9 km), Carl Side (2.0 km). Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Dodd (layby) — 3.0 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Dodd (Skiddaw) (0.8 km), Long Side (1.7 km), Ullock Pike (1.7 km). 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 553, 554 and X4 stop at Skiddaw, outside Osprey View Point, a 60 m walk from the start of Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd — a route we rate Hard overall (hardest: steepness and navigation). As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (554): Tuesday to Friday, Sunday 17:39; Saturday 20:09. Towards Keswick (X4): Tuesday to Saturday 18:37 only. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 24 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach X4 / X5

Penrith – Rheged – Threlkeld – Keswick – Braithwaite – Cockermouth – Workington

Catch it from: Penrith

Year-round, every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday between Penrith and Keswick and hourly on Sundays, from outside Penrith station. One ticket from any station on the West Coast Main Line to Keswick includes this bus: search for ‘Keswick Bus (KWK)’ when you book the train. From Penrith this is your way into Keswick and the Northern fells — Threlkeld/Scales stops serve Blencathra directly, Braithwaite serves the Coledale fells.

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 Skiddaw

Hazard & Incident Information for Skiddaw

Checked by Lee McCoy, 13 June 2026. Draws on published material from Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Low

Skiddaw is one of the most accessible of the high fells, with broad graded paths and a relatively gentle gradient on the main southern approach. Its high footfall keeps it firmly on Keswick MRT's radar, but the nature of incidents reflects its character — exposure and weather rather than technical difficulty. The long open ridge above 700 m is fully exposed to north-westerly gales, strong enough to knock walkers off the path. In winter the upper slopes carry hard snow and ice that catches unprepared walkers.

Upper ridge in high wind: The ridge from Jenkin Hill to the summit is fully exposed and offers no shelter. Gusts have knocked walkers off the path. Check the forecast before setting out and turn back early if wind strengthens significantly — the descent is long.
Winter snow and ice on upper slopes: The grassy upper slopes freeze hard and hold ice long after lower ground has cleared. Without ice axe and crampons, a slip here can lead to a long slide. The northern face in particular stays icy into spring.
Navigation on the long ridge in cloud: In poor visibility the featureless upper ridge is easy to follow in the wrong direction. Navigation errors have left walkers uncertain of their position. Always carry a compass.

Who should attempt this fell: Skiddaw suits well-equipped beginners in good summer conditions. The summit path is clear and well-signposted. In wind, rain, or winter, it becomes a serious mountain: dress for the exposed ridge, carry map and compass, and do not underestimate the length of the walk back. The long northern approach from Bassenthwaite is a fine alternative route.

What to watch for: Exposure and exhaustion on the long open ridge · Slips on hard snow and ice in winter · Being blown off the path in strong wind · Navigation errors in mist separating walkers from their group

Local Mountain Rescue: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · Keswick MRT — Skiddaw incident reports (opens in new tab)

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 (opens in new tab)

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 Skiddaw 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 (opens in new tab) (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 Skiddaw

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

0.3 km SSkiddaw Middle Top929 m · Northern

0.5 km SSkiddaw South Top926 m · Northern

0.8 km NBroad End832 m · Northern

1.6 km ESESale How666 m · Northern

1.7 km SSESkiddaw Lesser Man824 m · Northern

1.9 km ENEHare Crag538 m · Northern

2.1 km SEJenkin Hill735 m · Northern

2.4 km NCockup505 m · Northern

2.4 km WNWWatches333 m · Northern

Routes over Skiddaw

Birketts North of Skiddaw

Summits: BakestallSkiddawSkiddaw Middle Top Skiddaw South Top Sale How Hare Crag Great Calva Frozen Fell Little Calva

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Picked for its light in: April, September

Warnings: The middle third (Hare Crag to Little Calva and beyond) is trackless deep heather — some of the roughest going in the Northern Fells. Budget far more time than the distance suggests.

Route guide: Birketts North of Skiddaw →

Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun!

Summits: Lonscale Fell Lonscale Pike (Lonscale Fell East Top)Jenkin Hill Skiddaw Lesser Man Skiddaw Little Man Skiddaw South Top Skiddaw Middle TopSkiddawBroad End Bakestall

Download GPX Walked by Lee, June 2025

Warnings: Lonscale Fell: The east face is a long line of crags falling steeply to Glenderaterra, and Lonscale Pike sits right on the edge. Keep well back from the eastern rim, especially in wind or cloud, and take care if visiting the airy east top.

From the hazard notes for Lonscale Fell, each with its sources.

Route guide: Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! →

Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd

Summits: Ullock Pike Long Side Skiddaw Middle TopSkiddawCarl Side Dodd (Skiddaw)

Start from the 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 Walked by Lee, June 2025

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. From the col at Carlside Tarn the path climbs the scree north-east to the summit ridge; drifting north (left) too early takes you beneath the summit, so keep on the line that heads straight up the slope. The descent from Carl Side to Dodd needs care with the GPS: turn right at White Stones down towards the road — the 'direct' line straight up to the left near the bottom is almost impassable — then right along the road and immediately left, back on yourself, 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.

Route guide: Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd →

Up to Skiddaw Round Trip

Summits: Lonscale Fell Jenkin Hill Skiddaw Middle TopSkiddawSkiddaw South Top Skiddaw Little Man Skiddaw Lesser Man

Download GPX Walked in part, June 2025 · km 5.1–5.8, km 9.4–10.2 from the map

Picked for its light in: December A winter pick assumes the tops are clear of snow and ice on the day, or that you carry winter kit and know how to use it.

Route guide: Up to Skiddaw Round Trip →

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 Skiddaw

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Birketts North of Skiddaw route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 4 m off the line)

On the Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 8 m off the line)

On the Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 5 m off the line) Mirehouse (S bound) (55 m from the start, straight line)

On the Up to Skiddaw Round Trip route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 5 m off the line)

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

About Skiddaw

He described the view from the summit as among the most extensive in Britain, taking in Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales, Yorkshire and much of northern England on a clear day. The classic ascent via Jenkin Hill from Keswick or via Ullock Pike and Long Side is straightforward but rewarding. Its northern face has a strong sense of grandeur.

Field notes

The beautiful thing about this mountain is that there are so many routes to the summit that offer different experiences. From the west you can take the wooded route up from the car park at Weir and bend around Ling How and bag Ullock Pike and Carl Side which has pleasant views over Bassenthwaite Lake and the Isle of Man, Or from the south you taken in the underwhelming Dodd from the car park and the popular route via White Stones and then Carl Side. There's the route where you park at the top of the road and take in the easy bag and relaxing views offered by Latrigg and Lonscale Fell - which is often very busy or you can try the route from the north, parking near Peter House Farm where you join the Cumbria Way and then turn north to take in the Wainwright Fell of Bakestall and the Birkett Broad End (if you can find it!) The summit is craggy affair, but the views are well worth it as looking north you can see the mountains of Scotland and south all the splendour of the Lake District. This should be at the top of your list - but don't worry about the confusing summit where you have a decaying trig point higher with the helpful summit marker which highlights the other visible (hopefully) fells. If you use a GPS tracker to auto-mark the bagging of the Wainwrights, you'll achieve it if you visit either.

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

My Strava hikes over Skiddaw

2 logged hikes pass over this summit:

Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! (opens in new tab) — 19.2 km · 980 m ascent · 4h 56m moving · 29 June 2025
102nd Wainwright including Ullock and Skiddaw (opens in new tab) — 13.7 km · 1152 m ascent · 3h 43m moving · 15 June 2025

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Skiddaw a Wainwright?

Skiddaw is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list, the Marilyn list and the Hewitt list.

Selected lists

930 m

Height

3,052 ft

In feet

NY 2604 2908

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.

Other tops of Skiddaw

Skiddaw Middle Top: 929 m (3,047 ft)Our routes over it: Birketts North of Skiddaw, Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun!, Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Dodd, Up to Skiddaw Round Trip
Skiddaw South Top: 926 m (3,036 ft)Our routes over it: Birketts North of Skiddaw, Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun!, Up to Skiddaw Round Trip

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 Skiddaw

The 360° skyline from Skiddaw

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

The skyline as a list, by direction

East: Blencathra (6 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), High Crag (18 km), High Raise (24 km), High Street (26 km)
South: Skiddaw Middle Top (0 km), Great Gable (19 km), Kirk Fell (20 km), Great End (21 km), Esk Pike (22 km), Broad Crag (22 km), Ill Crag (22 km), Scafell Pike (22 km), Bowfell (23 km), Scafell (23 km), Shelter Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (24 km), Swirl How (29 km), Brim Fell (30 km), The Old Man of Coniston (31 km)
South-west: Eel Crag (11 km), Crag Hill (11 km), Grasmoor (12 km), High Stile (17 km), High Stile (17 km), Pillar (19 km), Black Crag (20 km), Steeple (20 km), Scoat Fell (20 km), Haycock (22 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Goatfell [Goat Fell] (170 km, Scotland), Slieve Donard (188 km, Ireland), Merrick (101 km, Scotland), Broad Law (95 km, Scotland), Snaefell (96 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (96 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (112 km, England), Cairnsmore of Fleet (85 km, Scotland).

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

Sunrise and sunset on Skiddaw

Skiddaw catches the sun before the valley does. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does this summit wait for first light — the eastern horizon falls away rather than standing over you, and at midsummer the light reaches it 7 minutes before almanac sunrise.

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 light	Almanac sunrise	Difference
Midsummer	04:29 BST ±5.0 min	04:36	-7 min
Equinox	06:13 GMT ±5.0 min	06:16	-3 min
Midwinter	08:29 GMT ±5.0 min	08:34	-5 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.59°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Skiddaw

Skiddaw 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 light	Almanac sunset	Difference
Midsummer	21:59 BST ±5.0 min	21:54	+5 min
Equinox	18:33 GMT ±5.0 min	18:27	+6 min
Midwinter	15:57 GMT ±5.0 min	15:48	+9 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.

What you can see from Skiddaw

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.

120Wainwrights in view+17 marginal

192 kmFurthest sightlineSlieve Binnian · possible under favourable refraction

2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

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

Far horizons

Slieve Binnian Northern IrelandWSW · 192 km clear
Slieve Donard Northern IrelandWSW · 187 km clear
Merrick ScotlandNW · 102 km clear
Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 96 km clear
Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 73 km clear
Criffel ScotlandNW · 46 km distant
Great Dun Fell North PenninesE · 45 km distant
Cross Fell North PenninesE · 43 km clear
Solway Firth bay/estuaryNW · 34 km in view
Irish Sea open waterW · 33 km in view

All 120 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Carl Side, Long Side, Skiddaw Little Man, Ullock Pike, Bakestall, Lonscale Fell, Great Calva, Great Cockup, Mungrisdale Common, Barf, Meal Fell, Knott, Great Sca Fell, Lord's Seat, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Longlands Fell, Sale Fell, Brae Fell, Broom Fell, Bowscale Fell, Binsey, Bannerdale Crags, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Barrow, Ling Fell, High Pike (Caldbeck), High Rigg (Naddle Fell), Graystones (Graystones North Top), Grisedale Pike, Outerside, Causey Pike, Carrock Fell, Cat Bells (Catbells), Clough Head, Bleaberry Fell, Scar Crags, Hopegill Head, Ard Crags, Sail, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Maiden Moor, Raven Crag, High Seat, Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), Great Dodd, Watson's Dodd, High Spy, Hindscarth, Robinson, Hart Side, Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Low Fell, Raise, Dale Head, White Side, Catstye Cam, Helvellyn, Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, Eagle Crag, High Crag (Buttermere), Grey Knotts, Burnbank Fell, Haystacks (Buttermere), Blake Fell, Sergeant's Crag, Gavel Fell, Base Brown, Glaramara, Green Gable, Place Fell, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Pillar, Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit), Great Gable, Seat Sandal, Hallin Fell, Kirk Fell, High Raise (High White Stones), Steeple, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Sergeant Man, Beda Fell (Beda Head), Allen Crags, Great End, Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts), Thunacar Knott, Bonscale Pike, Lingmell, Esk Pike, Haycock, Arthur's Pike, Harrison Stickle, Pike of Stickle, Caw Fell, The Nab, Scafell Pike, Yewbarrow, Bowfell, Rest Dodd, Wether Hill, Grike, Scafell, The Knott (High Street), Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), High Raise (High Street), Rampsgill Head, Pike of Blisco, Cold Pike, Loughrigg Fell, Froswick, Whin Rigg (Wasdale), Wetherlam, Great Carrs, Swirl How, Black Fell, Grey Friar, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Dow Crag

How the view from Skiddaw 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 Skiddaw. 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

From the Gale Road car park (Underscar), Keswick start

Bristowe Hill (opens in new tab) self-cateringabout 2.1 km
Winchester House (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 2.2 km
The Gables (opens in new tab) self-cateringabout 2.3 km
Watendlath Guest House (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 2.4 km
Keswick View (opens in new tab) apartmentabout 2.5 km
Acorn House (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 2.5 km

Other places nearby

Bassenfell Manor Christian Centre (opens in new tab) hostelabout 3.1 km
Puddleduck Cottages (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 1.9 km

From the Dodd Wood / Mirehouse forestry car park start

Dancing Gate Cottage (opens in new tab) self-cateringabout 2.1 km
Croftlands Cottages (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 2.9 km

Worth knowing before you book

These places state on their own site that they do not take children.

From Underscar: 6 places in Keswick

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 (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Skiddaw

What is the easiest route up Skiddaw?

The standard tourist route climbs via Jenkin Hill from the Gale Road car park (behind Latrigg), the highest and shortest start — about 5 km to the summit with around 650 m of ascent. It's a broad, easy-to-follow track all the way.

Starting from Keswick itself adds distance and climb (roughly 8.7 km and 900 m of ascent). Quieter, rougher routes exist (e.g. over Ullock Pike), but the Jenkin Hill path is by far the simplest.

Sources: Mud and Routes — routes up Skiddaw (opens in new tab)

How long does it take to climb Skiddaw? Answered above: Routes up Skiddaw.

Can you take a dog up Skiddaw?

Yes — it's a popular dog walk on a good track, but it's a long, high, exposed outing, so your dog should be fit and used to hill days, and there's little water and no shade near the top. Carry water for them. The route from the Gale Road car park has three mapped stiles of unknown type as well as its gates.

Keep dogs on a lead around the grazing sheep on the lower slopes and in poor visibility near the steep north-eastern edge of the summit.

Sources: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

What should I wear and take up Skiddaw?

Wear walking boots or sturdy trainers with good grip, and take plenty of warm and windproof/waterproof layers — the summit is exposed and can be many degrees colder and far windier than Keswick, in any season.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them: the broad, featureless summit ridge is a notorious navigation challenge in cloud. Take food, water and a charged phone, and check the mountain forecast first. In winter it becomes full snow-and-ice mountaineering needing axe and crampons.

Sources: MWIS — Lake District forecast (opens in new tab)

How high is Skiddaw and where does it rank?

Skiddaw is 930 m (3,052 ft), making it the fourth-highest mountain in the Lake District (and England), after Scafell Pike, Scafell and Helvellyn. It's the highest of the Northern Fells and one of only a handful of English summits over 900 m.

Sources: Database of British and Irish Hills (opens in new tab)

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-10-05 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Skiddaw

Summit conditions on Skiddaw

Wind on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Skiddaw

How hard is Skiddaw, really?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Skiddaw

Parking

Buses

Hazards on Skiddaw

Hazard & Incident Information for Skiddaw

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Skiddaw

Routes over Skiddaw

On the hill: terrain and water on Skiddaw

Water & shelter on the way up

About Skiddaw

Field notes

My Strava hikes over Skiddaw

Classifications & hill data

Is Skiddaw a Wainwright?

Selected lists

Other tops of Skiddaw

The view from Skiddaw

The 360° skyline from Skiddaw

Sunrise and sunset on Skiddaw

Last light — when the sun leaves Skiddaw

What you can see from Skiddaw

Places to stay near this fell

Worth knowing before you book

Frequently asked questions about Skiddaw

Other fells near Skiddaw