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

Ullscarf - a broad, flat moorland of rough brown grass with an old fence post, distant hazy fells beyond under high cloud
Wainwright — Central FellsAlso a Birkett

Ullscarf

Ullscarf at 726m (2,382ft) is the quietest and most remote of the Central Fells, a broad, heathery plateau above the headwaters of Wyth Burn that Wainwright described as giving an unfrequented and peaceful summit with outstanding views in all directions.

723 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+9
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX → Parking & buses →
723 mWainwright — Central Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+9 bonus Birketts within 3 km Severe in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 723 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Fri 11 Sep): 11° to 8°C, gusts to 25 mph, 1.0 mm of rain forecast.

Fri 11 Sep
🌦️
11° / 8°
💨 25 mph
🌧 1.0 mm (100%)
Sat 12 Sep
🌧️
13° / 8°
💨 43 mph
🌧 28.8 mm (100%)
Sun 13 Sep
🌦️
12° / 7°
💨 19 mph
🌧 0.2 mm (62%)
Mon 14 Sep
🌧️
13° / 7°
💨 32 mph
🌧 13.3 mm (100%)
Tue 15 Sep
🌦️
13° / 7°
💨 34 mph
🌧 8.4 mm (89%)
Wed 16 Sep
🌦️
10° / 8°
💨 32 mph
🌧 3.8 mm (78%)
Thu 17 Sep
🌦️
10° / 7°
💨 36 mph
🌧 6.2 mm (92%)

Forecast snapshot from 11 Sep 2026, 08:30 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 723 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Ullscarf at a glance

Ullscarf

Ullscarf - a broad, flat moorland of rough brown grass with an old fence post, distant hazy fells beyond under high cloud
© Lee McCoy

Ullscarf at 726m (2,382ft) is the quietest and most remote of the Central Fells, a broad, heathery plateau above the headwaters of Wyth Burn that Wainwright described as giving an unfrequented and peaceful summit with outstanding views in all directions. Its isolated position between Thirlmere, Borrowdale and Langdale means it sees relatively few visitors despite its height. The views north to Skiddaw and east to the Helvellyn range are particularly fine. Approached most naturally from Thirlmere or from the Greenup Edge path from Borrowdale — a good choice for those seeking solitude on the Central Fells.

Field notes

Perhaps the most central fell of all the Lake District it deserves to be a monstrous fell, full of character and challenge. But alas, it is just all-but featureless and the difficulty doesn't come from trying to keep three points of contact against a rock face, but comes in the damp kind - the boggy ridge. But if your knees are failing and you just want to be out in the fresh air then, paradoxically, this is a great fell to not rush and enjoy what was created for us.

Routes up Ullscarf

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

Classifications & hill data

Wainwright
Central
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
HuMP
723 m
Height
2,372 ft
In feet
NY 2914 1217
Grid ref

The short answers

Is Ullscarf a Wainwright?

Ullscarf is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list and the HuMP list.

Where do you park for Ullscarf?

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.

My hikes over Ullscarf (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Parking & buses for Ullscarf

Best parking to hike Ullscarf

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

Stonethwaite (roadside, limited) — 3.0 km from summit (straight line)
Small roadside area near the hamlet — Eagle Crag, Sergeant's Crag, Langstrath approaches.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Steel End, Thirlmere (paid) — 3.0 km from summit (straight line)
South end of Thirlmere for the Wythburn valley and Armboth fells. Fees: pay and display (Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked Aug 2026). Pay and display (visitlakedistrict.com); named as a UU Thirlmere car park on unitedutilities.com, which states no fee details (United Utilities, checked Aug 2026).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
🚺 Dob Gill Car Park (opens in new tab) (~1169 m straight line) — Free
Dob Gill, Thirlmere (United Utilities, paid) — 3.1 km from summit (straight line)
West shore of Thirlmere - Harrop Tarn and Ullscarf. Fees: pay and display; coins and cards (LDNP directory, checked Aug 2026). Open Closed until Easter 2026; pedestrian access allowed (LDNP directory, checked Aug 2026). Pay and display (visitlakedistrict.com) (United Utilities, checked Aug 2026).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
If it is full: Steel End, Thirlmere (paid) (1.4 km, 36 m up); Wythburn Church, Thirlmere (paid) (2.5 km, 97 m up)
Roadside parking for Great Crag (free) — 3.3 km from summit (straight line)
1.2 km from Great Crag. Added from the 5 Aug 2026 OSM candidate review.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Great Crag (layby) — 3.6 km from summit (straight line)
Walking base for Lining Crag, Ullscarf, Sergeant's Crag and Eagle Crag — the 'Ullscarf, Eagle Crag & Sergeant's Crag' route starts 17 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
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 Ullscarf by bus

The 77 stops at Rosthwaite, opposite Longthwaite road end, 420 m from the start of Ullscarf, Eagle Crag & Sergeant's Crag. The last bus is 20:03 towards Keswick (78), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse 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 (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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

Hazards on Ullscarf

Hazard & Incident Information for Ullscarf

Hazard: Moderate

The great boggy hub of the Central Fells, on the watershed between Thirlmere and Borrowdale — reputedly the wettest ground in the Lake District. Its flat peat-hag plateau is almost featureless and often pathless, so the hazard here is pure navigation: in cloud it is one of the easiest places in the Lakes to lose your way, and the nearby Greenup Edge is a notorious spot for Coast to Coast walkers to go astray. Keswick Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

  • Featureless boggy plateau (navigation): A flat peat-hag plateau with few landmarks and an indistinct, sometimes absent path. In mist it is very easy to drift off line over miles of similar ground. Take and trust a compass bearing and don't rely on finding a trodden path.
  • Deep bog & peat hags: This is the wettest ground in the District — deep bog and peat hags that are tiring and disorientating, and can swallow a leg. Pick careful lines, keep to firmer ground where you can, and allow far more time than the distance suggests.
  • Greenup Edge & the wet cols: The connecting ground around Greenup Edge is boggy and confusing in cloud and has caught out many walkers (including on the Coast to Coast). Watch carefully for path splits and navigate the junctions deliberately rather than following the lie of the land.
Who should attempt this fell: Ullscarf is gentle in gradient but a serious navigation and bog challenge — the blank, sodden plateau defeats people in cloud who'd handle far rougher ground. Be confident with map, compass and bearings, allow plenty of time for the wet going, take particular care around Greenup Edge, and turn back if cloud closes in over the featureless top. In winter the navigation is harder still.

Most common causes: Navigation errors on the featureless, pathless peat-hag plateau in cloud · Floundering or tiring badly in deep bog · Getting lost around Greenup Edge and the wet cols · Exposure and long, slow going far from shelter

Local Mountain Rescue: Keswick 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 Ullscarf in cloud

Severe

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. 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 Ullscarf 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: Stonethwaite (roadside, limited), about 3.0 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Ullscarf (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.

0.8 km NNWColdbarrow Fell - High Saddle675 m · Central
1.2 km NNWLow Saddle656 m · Central
1.2 km NNEStanding Crag611 m · Central
1.3 km SWLining Crag542 m · Central
2.1 km EWythburn Fell508 m · Central
2.2 km NNEBell Crags (Long Moss) (Blea Tarn Fell)559 m · Central
2.3 km SSWLow White Stones731 m · Central
2.7 km NWatendlath Fell (Long Moss)515 m · Central
2.8 km NNEBrown Rigg462 m · Central

Routes over Ullscarf

14.83 km · ~720 m ascent · loop · ~4–5.5 h

✎️ Walked and described first-hand by Lee. A serious round: the navigation over Ullscarf and Greenup Edge is boggy and featureless (a compass is essential in cloud), and the direct Eagle Crag line is steep and intricate — good-weather, sure-footed terrain. Carry OS Explorer OL4.

⬇️ Download GPX

⚠️ Warnings: The direct Eagle Crag route (described here in descent) is a steep, intricate line of rock terraces and a wet gully that guidebooks recommend for ascent only, and only in good weather — consider walking the round the other way to climb it, and avoid it altogether in the wet. On Eagle Crag's terraces, don't go too far right where the terrace narrows above steep drops; sight each terrace before committing. The Bleak How step-stile has a rotted lower step — a big step down; take care and lift or assist dogs. Lining Crag's north face is near-vertical into Greenup Gill with little warning from the grassy top — keep back from the lip. Greenup Edge and the Ullscarf plateau are boggy and featureless — serious navigation in mist; rely on the old fence posts, cairns and bearings.

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 Ullscarf

Water & shelter on the way up

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

The view from Ullscarf

The 360° skyline from Ullscarf

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 Ullscarf36 labelled tops shown (9 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 9 kmHelvellyn · 6 kmSkiddaw · 17 kmHelvellyn Lower Man · 6 kmBowfell · 7 kmGreat Gable · 8 kmPillar · 12 kmNethermost Pike · 6 kmEsk Pike · 7 kmHigh Crag · 5 kmRaise · 7 kmFairfield · 7 kmBlencathra · 16 kmCrinkle Crags · 8 kmDollywaggon Pike · 6 kmGreat Dodd · 10 kmGrasmoor · 14 kmStybarrow Dodd · 8 kmRed Pike · 13 kmLingmell · 9 kmHigh Stile · 13 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 14 kmRampsgill Head · 15 kmDove Crag · 8 kmGrisedale Pike · 14 kmGlaramara · 5 kmRed Screes · 11 kmSail · 12 kmWetherlam · 11 kmHigh Raise · 3 kmDale Head · 8 kmClough Head · 11 kmLonscale Fell · 15 kmKnott · 21 kmUllock Pike · 17 kmLord's Seat · 17 kmGreat End · 8 kmScoat Fell · 13 kmPike de Bield · 8 kmKnowe Crags · 15 kmKirk Fell · 10 kmGreat Carrs · 11 kmGreat Rigg · 7 kmBlack Sails · 11 kmHigh Crag · 11 kmRobinson · 10 kmHobcarton Crag · 14 kmCombe Head · 4 kmJenkin Hill · 15 kmGrey Knotts · 7 kmBannerdale Crags · 17 kmDodd · 13 kmThe Tongue · 19 kmCofa Pike · 7 kmGavel Fell · 19 kmCrag Fell · 20 kmSeat Sandal · 5 kmCriffel · 60 km · clear daysHigh Pike · 9 kmRossett Pike · 6 kmIngleborough · 59 km · clear daysHeron Pike North Top · 7 kmHeron Pike · 8 kmWhernside · 54 km · clear daysWard's Stone · 61 km · clear daysTarn Crag · 3 kmBlea Rigg · 4 kmWhinlatter Top · 16 kmCastle How · 5 kmLingmoor Fell · 8 kmBarf · 16 kmBlake Rigg · 11 kmBaugh Fell · 49 km · clear daysLoughrigg Fell · 9 kmCaermote Hill · 27 kmGrandsire · 20 kmWhite Hill · 66 km · clear daysCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 111 km · a rare clear dayGreen Lowther · 107 km · a rare clear dayBoulsworth Hill · 100 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 126 km · a handful of days a yearSighty Crag · 75 km · a rare clear dayGreat Whernside · 81 km · a rare clear dayFair Snape Fell · 72 km · a rare clear dayLarriston Fells · 85 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 113 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Ullscarf, by direction
  • North: Gategill Fell Top (15 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (16 km), Skiddaw Little Man (16 km), Blencathra (16 km), Skiddaw South Top (17 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (17 km), Skiddaw (17 km), Skiddaw North Top (17 km)
  • North-east: Helvellyn Lower Man (6 km), Helvellyn (6 km), White Side (6 km), Raise (7 km), Stybarrow Dodd (8 km), Great Dodd (10 km)
  • East: High Crag (5 km), Dollywaggon Pike (6 km), Nethermost Pike (6 km), Fairfield (7 km)
  • South-west: Esk Pike (7 km), Bowfell (7 km), Great End (8 km), Pike de Bield (8 km), Crinkle Crags (8 km), Crinkle Crags (8 km), Crinkle Crags (8 km), Broad Crag (9 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (9 km), Scafell Pike (9 km), Lingmell (9 km)
  • West: Great Gable (8 km), Pillar (12 km), High Stile (12 km), Black Crag (13 km), Red Pike (13 km), High Stile (13 km), Scoat Fell (13 km), Steeple (13 km)
  • North-west: Crag Hill (13 km), Eel Crag (13 km), Grasmoor (14 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (111 km, Scotland), Green Lowther (107 km, Scotland), Queensberry (93 km, Scotland), Boulsworth Hill (100 km, England), Cairn Table (126 km, Scotland), Sighty Crag (75 km, England), Great Whernside (81 km, England), Wether Hill (101 km, Scotland).

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 Ullscarf

Ullscarf sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (on 1 August) first light is only 19 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

30°40°50°60°70°04:50
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
Midsummer04:50 BST ±5.0 min04:37+13 min
Equinox06:16 GMT ±5.0 min06:15+1 min
Midwinter08:29 GMT ±5.0 min08:33-4 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.07°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Ullscarf

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 February) last light is only 11 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Ullscarf.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
Last lightAlmanac sunsetDifference
Midsummer21:53 BST ±5.0 min21:52+1 min
Equinox18:23 GMT ±5.0 min18:26-3 min
Midwinter15:42 GMT ±5.0 min15:49-7 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 Ullscarf. 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 Ullscarf

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
78Wainwrights in view+31 marginal
61 kmFurthest sightlineCriffel
2Sea in viewSolway Firth, Morecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland.

Far horizons
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 61 km distant
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 59 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesSE · 54 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 50 km in view
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuaryS · 40 km in view
All 78 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

How Ullscarf’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

Seatoller House B&B (opens in new tab) guest house

about 1.6 km from the start, in a straight line

Two named family rooms (Rabbit and Stag), both large with a private bathroom opposite, plus a dog policy precise enough to plan around — dogs in, but never in the dining room and dried off at the back door. The catch is timing: breakfast runs 8.00–8.30 only, which is late for a long Ullscarf day, and dinner is a single 7pm sitting that must be pre-booked 48 hours ahead if you did not book direct. It also shuts for the winter.

Worth knowing: “Well behaved dogs are allowed, they are not allowed in the dining room at any time,Please clean and dry all dogs on entering Seatoller via the back door.”

The house is 400 years old, has taken guests for more than a century, and is the largest building in the hamlet of Seatoller; every bedroom is named for a local animal — Badger, Eagle, Osprey, Otter, Owl, Rabbit, Squirrel, Stag, Hedgehog and the Bakehouse annexe.

  • Dogs “Well behaved dogs are allowed, they are not allowed in the dining room at any time,Please clean and dry all dogs on entering Seatoller via the back door.”
  • Family rooms “Rabbit Large Family room, Private bathroom directly opposite, great views of garden & Fells”
  • Evening meal “dinner is a set menu served at 7.00pm with the exception of Wednesdays, when Dinner is not served”
  • Parking “There are 10 bedrooms all with private bathrooms, a large award winning garden surrounding the house and ample private car parking.”

Worth knowing before you book

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

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 Ullscarf

Is Ullscarf a hard walk?

Not to climb, and thoroughly hard work all the same. Ullscarf is the boggy hub of the Central Fells on the watershed between Thirlmere and Borrowdale, and it has a reputation for the wettest ground in the district. The plateau is peat hags, and progress across them is slow however fit you are.

Our route over it with Eagle Crag and Sergeant's Crag is 14.8 km with 720 m of ascent and we grade its navigation hard. A flat, featureless, hag-dotted top is the worst possible ground to be uncertain on. Take it after dry weather if you can choose.

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 Ullscarf