Best walks in the Lake District

This lovely circular six-mile walk has an easy first half, following footpaths and bridleways across the wooded countryside around Ambleside to Troutbeck. The more challenging return route involves a stiff climb up Wansfell Pike, for superb views over the Lakes, then descends via the pretty waterfall of Skelghyll Force.

This 4.5-mile circular walk around Lake Buttermere, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, starts and ends in pretty Buttermere village, and takes in wonderful views of the craggy peaks of Littledale Edge, Dale’s Head and Mellbreak, skirting the shores of beautiful Lake Buttermere. Ideal if you want to be surrounded by mountain scenery without actually having to do any climbing.

Halfway around at the southern tip, you’ll pass the ‘Sentinels’, the Lake District’s most photographed trees. Also look out for the ‘lone tree’, another highly-photographable feature.

Described by Alfred Wainwright as ‘the finest square mile in Lakeland’, this relatively short 4-mile circular walk takes in the impressive volcanic landscapes around Borrowdale. It includes the climb up Castle Crag – a 2,000-year-old hill fort – and the summit at Peace How, which offers spectacular views.

For a first-time fell walk, this compact little hill on the western shore of Derwentwater is hard to beat. At just 451m, it’s half the height of the highest Lakeland fells, but it still makes for a brisk, bracing walk – and the views from the summit over Derwentwater and the Skiddaw range are really grand.

The trail is well-marked and easy to follow; the usual route up follows a loop from the fell’s northern end at Hawes End, and in total covers about 3.5 miles.

The Langdale Pikes is a classic Lake District ‘round’, a multi-hill loop hike that allows keen ‘peak baggers’ to tick off several summits in a single walk.

The main route climbs up past the waterfall of Dungeon Ghyll Waterfall, then loops across the ‘Pikes’ – which can, depending on your chosen route, take in between three and six summits: Pike of Stickle, Pavey Ark, Loft Crag and Harrison Stickle, Thunacar Knott and Thorn Crag. The route then loops back down via Dungeon Ghyll, or you can add on an optional descent via Martcrag Moor.

It offers wonderful views over the valley of Great Langdale, and is also a stiff workout – there’s plenty of ascent involved, and depending on your route, some airy drops too, but there are few walks in Lakeland that offer such drama and diversity of scenery.

This is the big one: the highest point in England at 978m, and the one everyone wants to tick off on their bucket list. Granted, compared to some of the world’s great mountains, it’s a tiddler, but don’t underestimate the challenge of Scafell Pike: it feels high, exposed and extremely windswept, and it requires a steep, tiring slog to reach the top. But on a clear day in good weather, there’s no finer feeling than to stand on England’s rooftop.

There are a number of different ways to the summit, including an excellent trail across from Borrowdale, but the classic (and shortest) route starts in Wasdale Head, at the head of the deep, dark lake of Wastwater. From here, it ascends up Lingmell Gill, climbs past Brown Tongue and Hollow Stones, then turns at Lingmell Col for the final steep, tiring push to the summit.