North of Skiddaw
Key facts
Difficulty profile
Five independent axes, not one score. “Desk” ratings come from maps and guidebooks, not yet walked — treat them as a guide, not a survey.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 5 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.
Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →
☀️ Daylight & turnaround
Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.
Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
1 Longlands Fell2 Lowthwaite Fell3 Brae Fell4 Little Sca Fell5 Great Sca Fell6 Meal Fell7 Great Cockup8 Orthwaite Bank
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 13.22 km with around 707 m of ascent, taking in 8 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.
- Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~32% drop around the 6.0 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 3 gates
These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-19. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longlands Fell | 2.2 km | 253 m | 0:51–1:08 |
| Lowthwaite Fell | 2.9 km | 308 m | 1:05–1:27 |
| Brae Fell | 4.5 km | 423 m | 1:36–2:08 |
| Little Sca Fell | 5.5 km | 483 m | 1:54–2:32 |
| Great Sca Fell | 5.9 km | 511 m | 2:02–2:42 |
| Meal Fell | 6.8 km | 536 m | 2:15–2:59 |
| Great Cockup | 8.0 km | 631 m | 2:40–3:32 |
| Orthwaite Bank | 9.9 km | 637 m | 3:02–4:02 |
| Finish | 13.2 km | 707 m | 3:49–5:05 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start → Longlands Fell (2.2 km, 253 m)
Climb of about 253 m over 2.2 km (around 12% average).
Longlands Fell → Lowthwaite Fell (0.7 km, 55 m)
Undulating section of about 0.7 km.
Lowthwaite Fell → Brae Fell (1.6 km, 114 m)
Climb of about 114 m over 1.6 km (around 7% average).
Brae Fell → Little Sca Fell (1.0 km, 60 m)
Climb of about 60 m over 1.0 km (around 6% average).
Little Sca Fell → Great Sca Fell (0.4 km, 29 m)
Undulating section of about 0.4 km.
Great Sca Fell → Meal Fell (0.9 km, 25 m)
Descent of about 106 m over 0.9 km.
Meal Fell → Great Cockup (1.3 km, 95 m)
Climb of about 95 m over 1.3 km (around 7% average).
Great Cockup → Orthwaite Bank (1.8 km, 6 m)
Descent of about 177 m over 1.8 km.
Orthwaite Bank → Finish (3.4 km, 70 m)
Climb of about 70 m over 3.4 km (around 2% average).
Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.
Summits bagged (8)
- Longlands Fell 483 m · Northern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Lowthwaite Fell 509 m · Northern · Birkett, Synge
- Brae Fell 585 m · Northern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Little Sca Fell 633 m · Northern · Birkett, Synge
- Great Sca Fell 651 m · Northern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Meal Fell 549 m · Northern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Great Cockup 526 m · Northern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Orthwaite Bank 348 m · Northern · Birkett
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
💧 No mapped drinking water or shelter on this route — that doesn’t mean there is none, and never drink untreated from a beck. (Facilities data © OpenStreetMap contributors.)
🚌 Buses
No regular bus serves the start — this is one for the car. Nearest hubs: Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ Safety & conditions
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
Make it easier or harder
Short version: turn back at about 6.4 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for North of Skiddaw
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