Scale Force

The walk to the falls

There's no shortcut to Scale Force — reaching it is half the experience. From Buttermere village the path crosses between the two lakes, over Buttermere Dubs, and heads out across open, often wet and boggy ground to the foot of the ravine, a round trip of about four miles with some genuinely soft going in places; allow 1½ to 2 hours with stops. The fall itself hides in a narrow, mossy cleft, so you come upon it suddenly — a tall white thread dropping into a dark, fern-hung chasm. Good boots are essential, and it's worth pairing with a low circuit of Buttermere, or a bigger day up onto the fells above.

Swimming

The pool at the foot of Scale Force is a deep, cold, shadowed plunge in a rocky cleft — the sort of place wild swimmers seek out, but one to treat with real respect. It's genuinely cold, dark and remote, with no help nearby and a long, boggy walk back out, and after rain the fall drives a lot of water into a confined space. There is no lifeguard and no managed access; the National Park's swimming safety advice is the place to start. For an easier swim, Buttermere and Crummock Water are close by.

When to go

Scale Force is all about water: after heavy rain or snowmelt it's a spectacular, roaring ribbon, and in a dry spell it can dwindle to little. The tension is the approach — the walk in is at its boggiest just when the fall is at its best — so the ideal is a clear, settled day soon after a wet spell. It's far quieter than the roadside falls year-round; a weekday gives you a real chance of having the ravine to yourself.

The setting & wildlife

The fall sits in a shaded, north-facing cleft where little sun reaches — which is why it's so thickly hung with mosses, ferns and liverworts, a lush micro-world in the rock. Around it is open, rough western fell: cropped grass, bog and crag, with ravens overhead and the big skyline of the High Stile range above Buttermere. It's one of the wilder waterfall settings in the Lakes, a world away from the manicured glens near the towns.

The name & its story

"Scale" comes from the Old Norse skáli, a shepherd's shieling or hut — the same root behind "Scales" and "Scale" place-names across the Lakes, marking where flocks were once summered. "Force", as ever, is the Norse fors, a waterfall. So the name simply records a waterfall by the old shieling — a plain Norse label for what became, in the age of the Picturesque tour, a much sought-out cascade.

Family, dogs & accessibility

This is not a family stroll or an accessible visit: it's a rough, boggy, remote walk with no facilities, so it's not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs, and it's best kept for fit walkers and sure-footed older children who are happy with wet ground and a longer day. Dogs are fine on the open fell — keep them on a lead around grazing stock — but remember the going is wet and there's no water source but the beck itself. Come properly booted and equipped.

The fells above

Scale Force spills off the flank of the high western fells beneath Red Pike (Buttermere) — the first of the great High Stile skyline above the lake. Strong walkers use the fall as the start of a much bigger day, climbing on to Red Pike and the ridge; most, though, simply make it the turning point of a wild valley walk from Buttermere.

Getting there & parking

Without a car: The nearest stations as the crow flies are Corkickle (17 km away) and Parton (17 km away). The bus map has every stop we hold.

There is no parking at Scale Force — it's walk-in only.

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking near Scale Force

Follow the path between Buttermere and Crummock Water, over Buttermere Dubs, and on towards the falls. It's a car-free-friendly valley too: the seasonal Buttermere bus links it to Keswick over the passes, so you can arrive without a car and make a full day of the walk in.

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