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Whiteside - the rocky crest of the ridge running east towards Hopegill Head and Grisedale Pike, with the steep slopes above Gasgale Gill falling away to the right under a stormy sky

Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

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707 mWainwright — North Western Fells+11 bonus Birketts within 3 km Fewer traps in Clag

Whiteside at 707m (2,320ft) is a long, narrow ridge above Crummock Water, its steep southern flank, Gasgale Crags, falling to Gasgale Gill. Its Wainwright summit is the west top; the ridge rises east to a higher top at 719m on the way to Hopegill Head.

Summit conditions on Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 11° to 5°C, gusts to 67 mph, 7.9 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

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

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 58 mph times our exposure factor of 1.2. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 67 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 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

7.9 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 0 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 31 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

Routes up Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

All three start from Lanthwaite Green (paid); the last two rows give its parking and bus. Full maps further down.

The Grasmoor RoundThe Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless PikeDodd & Whiteside
Starts fromLanthwaite Green (paid)Lanthwaite Green (paid)Lanthwaite Green (paid)
Distance and climb16.17 km, 1,304 m of climb16.17 km, 1,161 m of climb7.91 km, 682 m of climb
Time, fast to steady~5¼–7¼ h~5–7 h~2½–3¾ h
ScramblingEasy scramble: the last 100 m up Hopegill Head from Whiteside (km 3.6–3.7). In the final 100 metres before the peak, where the hands-on scramble begins, take the left-hand line straight up onto the rocky peak.Easy scramble: the last 100 m up Hopegill Head from Whiteside (km 3.5–3.6). Gasgale Crags is a narrow, airy ridge, and the last 100 m up Hopegill Head is an easy scramble — no place to slip.Hands for a few steps: a few spots on Whin Ben (km 0.0–1.9).
ExposureHardHardNot assessed
NavigationModerateHardModerate
Steepest stretchClimb of about 39% at 1.6 km (Severe)Climb of about 41% at 1.5 km (Severe)Climb of about 41% at 1.5 km (Severe)
After the summitOver Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags), Gasgale Crags, Hopegill Head, Sand Hill, Grasmoor, Thirdgill Head Man, Whiteless Pike and Rannerdale KnottsOver Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags), Gasgale Crags, Hopegill Head, Sand Hill, Grasmoor, Wandope, Thirdgill Head Man, Whiteless Pike and Rannerdale KnottsOver Dodd (Lorton)
Walked or plannedWalked by Lee, August 2026Walked by Lee, August 2026Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the startLanthwaite Green (paid)Lanthwaite Green (paid)Lanthwaite Green (paid)
Bus to the start77 at the start. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.77 at the start. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.77 at the start. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.

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 →

Is Whiteside a hard walk?

Yes — this is one of the hardest ways onto a Lakeland ridge, and it is hard from the first step. The climb straight up the western nose from Lanthwaite is relentless, loose and eroded, with little respite: our short round with Dodd is only 7.9 km but carries 682 m of ascent, and we grade its steepness severe against a length we grade easy. It is worse coming down than going up.

What you climb to is a narrow whaleback with the wall of Gasgale Crags falling away to the south. The traverse to Hopegill Head is nothing like Striding Edge, but it is airy and it wants a steady head, and it becomes serious in strong wind or when iced. The full Grasmoor round from here is 16.2 km with 1161 m of ascent and we rate it Severe overall for its steepness.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 707 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast
Tue 27 Oct
11° / 5°
67 mph
7.9 mm (100%)
Wed 28 Oct
8° / 5°
49 mph
8.7 mm (100%)
Thu 29 Oct
8° / 6°
25 mph
1.9 mm (67%)
Fri 30 Oct
8° / 6°
19 mph
0.2 mm (12%)
Sat 31 Oct
8° / 3°
5 mph
4.6 mm (8%)
Sun 1 Nov
7° / 0°
13 mph
0.3 mm (2%)
Mon 2 Nov
6° / -2°
8 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

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Parking

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

Lanthwaite Green — 0.1 km from the start of The Grasmoor Round, The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike and Dodd & Whiteside (straight line)
At the foot of Grasmoor and Whiteside, Crummock Water. Fees: £7 up to 2 hours; £8 up to 4 hours; £9.50 all day. Free for National Trust members (National Trust, read 28 September 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
Grasmoor (verge) — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)
1.6 km from Grasmoor.
Directions Something changed here?
Grasmoor (layby) — 2.0 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Grasmoor (1.6 km), Lad Hows (1.7 km), Mellbreak North Top (1.8 km). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.
Directions Something changed here?
2 more places to park near Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)
Lanthwaite Wood, Crummock Water (NT, paid) — 2.2 km from summit (straight line)
By Crummock Water, distinct from Lanthwaite Green further up the valley. Fees: pay and display (Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked August 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
Lad Hows, north-west (layby) — 2.2 km from summit (straight line)
A lay-by on the B5289 by Crummock Water. The nearest route starts are at Lanthwaite Green, among them 'The Grasmoor Round', 0.9 km on foot. 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 77 stops at Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite), a 20 m walk from the start of The Grasmoor Round — a route we rate Severe overall (hardest: steepness). Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. It returns on 22 March 2027. Confirmed with the operator: its last day on 29 August 2026, its return on 16 October 2026. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (77): Tuesday to Sunday 18:03. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 12 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawes 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 (Summer 2026 timetable: 23 March to 1 November 2026). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Hazard & Incident Information for Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

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

Hazard: Moderate

A long, narrow whaleback above Crummock Water, carrying one of the finest ridge traverses in the Lakes along to Hopegill Head — but a ridge that needs a head for heights, with the steep wall of Gasgale Crags dropping away on its southern side. The direct ascent from Crummock is steep and unrelenting, and the airy crest is exposed in wind and serious when iced. Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team covers this north-western ground.

  • The narrow ridge traverse to Hopegill Head: An exhilarating but airy high-level crest with steep drops, especially into Gasgale Gill to the south. Easier than Striding Edge, but it still needs a steady head and becomes treacherous in strong wind, wet or ice. Take it carefully and keep to the crest.
  • Gasgale Crags (steep southern flank): The ridge towers above Gasgale Gill on a wall of crag. Keep back from the southern edge, particularly in cloud or wind where the drop comes with little warning.
  • The steep direct ascent from Crummock: The western nose climbed straight from the Crummock side is steep, loose and relentless — tiring on the way up and awkward as a descent. Pace it, and avoid coming down it if tired or in poor conditions.
Who should attempt this fell: Whiteside gives a superb ridge walk, but it is exposed: the traverse to Hopegill Head needs a head for heights, and the Gasgale Crags edge is unforgiving in wind or cloud. Save the steep Crummock nose for ascent rather than a tired descent, keep to the crest and a compass bearing in mist, and treat the whole ridge as full winter ground when there is snow or ice.

What to watch for: Slips on the exposed ridge traverse, especially in wind or when wet/iced · Walkers straying toward the Gasgale Crags edge in poor visibility · Falls and fatigue on the steep, loose direct ascent/descent from Crummock · Underestimating the exposure of the crest

Local Mountain Rescue: Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team

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

Navigating in cloud

Fewer traps in cloud

Of the three things our terrain model measures, the highest reading here is the amount of steep ground within half a kilometre of the summit. This top is in the lowest of the index’s four bands, and a low band never means “safe”: 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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) 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 (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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

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

0.5 km ENEWhiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)719 m · North Western
0.8 km ENEGasgale Crags703 m · North Western
1.1 km NDodd (Lorton)454 m · North Western
1.6 km ENELadyside Pike704 m · North Western
1.7 km ESand Hill756 m · North Western
2.1 km NNESwinside509 m · North Western
2.3 km EHobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head)738 m · North Western
2.3 km ESEEel Crag (Birkett)807 m · North Western
2.7 km SLad Hows426 m · North Western
2.7 km SSEThirdgill Head Man734 m · North Western
2.9 km ENEHobcarton End634 m · North Western

Routes over Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Dodd & Whiteside
Summits: Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)Dodd (Lorton)

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: Whiteside (Whiteside West Top): The ridge towers above Gasgale Gill on a wall of crag. Keep back from the southern edge, particularly in cloud or wind where the drop comes with little warning.

From the hazard notes for Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), each with its sources.

Route guide →

The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike
Summits: Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)Gasgale CragsHopegill HeadSand HillGrasmoorWandopeThirdgill Head ManWhiteless PikeRannerdale Knotts

If you only do one round in the North Western Fells, this is it. Grasmoor is a bigger, wilder mountain than its modest reputation suggests, and the ridge from Whiteside over Gasgale Crags to Hopegill Head is as good as ridge walking gets outside the Langdales. Whiteless Pike at the end is a perfect little peak — and a punishing descent.

Download GPX Walked by Lee, August 2026

Best season: Late spring to autumn, in clear conditions. Gasgale Crags is narrow and rocky, and Grasmoor’s summit plateau is a blank, stony expanse that is thoroughly disorientating in cloud.

Warnings: The climb straight up Whiteside from Lanthwaite is brutally steep — a relentless, loose, eroded pull with little respite. It is the hardest 500 m on this route and it comes first. Gasgale Crags is a narrow, rocky ridge. It is not a graded scramble like Sharp Edge, but the last 100 m up Hopegill Head is an easy scramble, the ridge is airy, the rock is loose in places, and it wants care in wind or wet. Grasmoor’s summit is a featureless stony plateau with crags on three sides. In cloud it is a genuine navigation trap — take a bearing before you leave the cairn. The descent off Whiteless Pike is a knee-breaker — steep, sustained and relentless, right at the end of a long day. It is one of the steepest sustained descents in the Lakes. A long day with 1,161 m of ascent and ten tops. Navigation is graded hard: the high ground is broad and the drops are real. The path runs right around the edge of Addacomb Hole, a steep half-crater with a high headwall. Keep back from the rim, especially in wind or cloud — a slip here drops into serious ground. Don't approach the lip for the view in poor visibility. Rannerdale Knotts: The ridge ends suddenly in a wall of crag and scree falling steeply to the valley by Crummock Water. Keep back from the abrupt end and the edges among the summit knolls, especially in wind or cloud — it's a small fell with a real drop. Whiteside (Whiteside West Top): The ridge towers above Gasgale Gill on a wall of crag. Keep back from the southern edge, particularly in cloud or wind where the drop comes with little warning.

From the hazard notes for Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) · Rannerdale Knotts, each with its sources.

Route guide →

The Grasmoor Round
Summits: Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)Gasgale CragsHopegill HeadSand HillGrasmoorThirdgill Head ManWhiteless PikeRannerdale Knotts

Download GPX Walked by Lee, August 2026

Warnings: Rannerdale Knotts: The ridge ends suddenly in a wall of crag and scree falling steeply to the valley by Crummock Water. Keep back from the abrupt end and the edges among the summit knolls, especially in wind or cloud — it's a small fell with a real drop. Grasmoor: The top is broad, grassy and almost featureless, ringed by steep crags and gullies. In mist it is very easy to set off on the wrong bearing and end up above the cliffs or descending a dangerous flank. Take and trust a compass bearing before leaving the summit. Whiteside (Whiteside West Top): The ridge towers above Gasgale Gill on a wall of crag. Keep back from the southern edge, particularly in cloud or wind where the drop comes with little warning.

From the hazard notes for Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) · Grasmoor · Rannerdale Knotts, each with its sources.

Route guide →

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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Dodd & Whiteside route:

Lanthwaite Green Farm (105 m from the start, straight line)

On the The Grasmoor round: Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Whiteless Pike route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 5 m off the line) Lanthwaite Green Farm (58 m from the start, straight line)

On the The Grasmoor Round route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 3 m off the line) Lanthwaite Green Farm (4 m from the start, straight line)

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

About Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Whiteside - the rocky crest of the ridge running east towards Hopegill Head and Grisedale Pike, with the steep slopes above Gasgale Gill falling away to the right under a stormy sky
© Lee McCoy

Wainwright described the views from the Whiteside ridge as among the finest in the North Western Fells — the long lake of Crummock Water seen from above, backed by the Grasmoor massif. The traverse of the Whiteside ridge from Lanthwaite Green to Hopegill Head is an excellent route. The views across Crummock to Mellbreak and the western fells are particularly fine.

Field notes

There are far too many Whiteside summits for my liking - in fact there are three and officially the Wainwright is the first one, the west top at 707m; the east top at 719m is higher, and Gasgale Crags is 703m. Just do all three and you'll be fine. The view along Liza Beck to the south (right-hand-side) is stunning in clear weather (check out my photos further down this page). If you've exerted a lot of energy getting to this point and weather is good, this is a nice place to catch your breath before you take on the scrambling that takes you up to Hopegill Head.

— Lee McCoy, who walked it on 2 of our routes

My Strava hikes over Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) a Wainwright?

Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list and the Fellranger list.

Selected lists

Wainwright
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
707 m
Height
2,320 ft
In feet
NY 1704 2195
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 Whiteside (Whiteside West 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 →

The view from Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

The 360° skyline from Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)36 labelled tops shown (19 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWHelvellyn · 18 kmSkiddaw · 12 kmRaise · 18 kmBlencathra · 16 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 11 kmGrasmoor · 2 kmCrag Hill · 3 kmHaycock · 12 kmWatson's Dodd · 17 kmCaw Fell · 12 kmGreat Sca Fell · 17 kmIron Crag · 11 kmGreat Borne · 7 kmGrisedale Pike · 3 kmSand Hill · 2 kmCriffel · 45 km · clear daysBlake Fell · 6 kmLord's Seat · 6 kmGavel Fell · 6 kmLoweswater End · 5 kmGale Fell · 7 kmBroom Fell · 6 kmSwinside · 2 kmMellbreak North Top · 4 kmHigh Pen · 7 kmBurnbank Fell · 6 kmGraystones · 4 kmKirk Fell · 5 kmLow Fell · 3 kmLoweswater Fell · 4 kmFellbarrow · 4 kmSourfoot Fell · 4 kmHatteringill Head · 5 kmClints Crags · 13 kmWatch Hill · 10 kmMochrum Fell · 69 km · clear daysCatstye Cam · 19 kmHigh Crag · 19 kmBroad End · 12 kmEel Crag · 2 kmJenkin Hill · 12 kmBrae Fell · 18 kmHopegill Head · 2 kmWhiteside East Top · 0 kmBleaberry Fell · 12 kmHerdus · 8 kmWhinlatter · 4 kmBinsey · 15 kmSmithy Fell · 4 kmGreen How · 18 kmBennan · 65 km · clear daysSee Morris Hill · 62 km · clear daysSlieve Donard · 177 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 98 km · a rare clear dayBroad Law · 102 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 84 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 95 km · a rare clear dayThe Cheviot · 123 km · a handful of days a yearCairnsmore of Fleet · 81 km · a rare clear dayWindlestraw Law · 123 km · a handful of days a yearTinto · 114 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 176 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 94 km · a rare clear dayDivis · 177 km · a handful of days a yearEttrick Pen · 86 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 112 km · a rare clear dayCairnharrow · 72 km · a rare clear dayWisp Hill · 80 km · a rare clear dayRoan Fell · 76 km · a rare clear dayColt Hill · 90 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 90 km · a rare clear day
The skyline as a list, by direction
  • North-east: Long Side (10 km), Carl Side (10 km), Skiddaw South Top (11 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (11 km), Skiddaw Little Man (11 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (11 km), Skiddaw (12 km), Skiddaw North Top (12 km), Jenkin Hill (12 km), Broad End (12 km), Great Sca Fell (17 km), Little Sca Fell (17 km), Brae Fell (18 km)
  • East: Whiteside East Top (0 km), Hopegill Head (2 km), Sand Hill (2 km), Grisedale Pike (3 km), Knowe Crags (15 km), Gategill Fell Top (16 km), Blencathra (16 km), Atkinson Pike (17 km), Watson's Dodd (17 km), White Side (18 km), Stybarrow Dodd (18 km), Raise (18 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (18 km), Helvellyn (18 km), Catstye Cam (19 km)
  • South-east: Eel Crag (2 km), Crag Hill (3 km), Nethermost Pike (19 km), High Crag (19 km)
  • South: Grasmoor (2 km), Little Gowder Crag (11 km), Haycock (12 km), Caw Fell (12 km)
  • South-west: Great Borne (7 km), Iron Crag (11 km), Lank Rigg (13 km)
  • North-west: Criffel (45 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (177 km, Ireland), Merrick (98 km, Scotland), Broad Law (102 km, Scotland), Snaefell (84 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (95 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (123 km, England), Cairnsmore of Fleet (81 km, Scotland), Corserine (94 km, Scotland).

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

Sunrise and sunset on Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) waits for the sun. Its longest wait of the modelled year falls at midwinter, when the sun is up for 26 minutes before it clears this skyline — first light 09:00 against an almanac sunrise of 08:34. You are standing in shadow while the valley below is already lit. The sun comes up to the south-east from here (137.2°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 2.42°.

0°30°40°50°60°04:34
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
Midsummer04:34 BST ±5.0 min04:37-3 min
Equinox06:28 GMT ±5.0 min06:16+12 min
Midwinter09:00 GMT ±5.0 min08:34+26 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.46°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) 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 4 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 min21:54+4 min
Equinox18:33 GMT ±5.0 min18:27+6 min
Midwinter15:57 GMT ±5.0 min15:49+8 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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
43Wainwrights in view+8 marginal
182 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 · 182 km clear
  • Slieve Donard Northern IrelandWSW · 177 km clear
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 99 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 85 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 46 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 35 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterW · 25 km in view
All 43 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Grisedale Pike, Low Fell, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Scar Crags, Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Graystones (Graystones North Top), Causey Pike, Hen Comb, Lord's Seat, Broom Fell, Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Ling Fell, Starling Dodd, Great Borne, Sale Fell, Ullock Pike, Long Side, Crag Fell, Skiddaw, Haycock, Caw Fell, Grike, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, Lank Rigg, Binsey, Great Cockup, Meal Fell, Watson's Dodd, Longlands Fell, White Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Brae Fell, Raise, Helvellyn, Catstye Cam, Nethermost Pike

How the view from Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) 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 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top). 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

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.

Frequently asked questions about Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)

Is Whiteside a hard walk? Answered above.

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-08-30 · Suggest a question or correction

Other fells near Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)