High Crag: Height, Walks and Views above Buttermere

High Crag stands at the south-eastern end of the High Stile ridge, with Buttermere on one side and Ennerdale on the other. At 744.8 metres, it combines a high ridge outlook with steep, uncompromising slopes, particularly at Gamlin End. Walkers often include it in a longer outing over High Stile and Red Pike, but its position above Scarth Gap gives it a character all its own.

A steep-sided fell between two valleys

High Crag belongs to the ridge separating Buttermere from Ennerdale, two valleys with markedly different characters. To the north-east lie Buttermere and the fells beyond its opposite shore; to the south-west is the long, wooded valley of Ennerdale. The summit stands at 744.8 metres, or 2,444 feet, at grid reference NY180139. It is the 65th highest of the 214 Wainwrights.

The fell’s most distinctive walking feature is Gamlin End, the steep slope falling south-east from the summit towards the subsidiary top of Seat and Scarth Gap. Its scree and broken ground give this end of the ridge a much sharper finish than a distant view might suggest. High Crag is not simply a gentle continuation of High Stile: the descent towards Scarth Gap is a substantial part of its character.

High Crag in the Western Fells

Alfred Wainwright included High Crag in The Western Fells, the seventh book of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Its closest ridge companion is High Stile, with Red Pike farther north-west. Together, these three summits form one of the best-known high-level walks above Buttermere. High Crag marks the south-eastern end of that trio, rather than the highest point of the ridge.

Beyond Scarth Gap lies Haystacks, while Pillar stands across Ennerdale. These relationships help place High Crag within the wider western fell country: it sits between the popular walking ground around Buttermere and the more remote-feeling interior of Ennerdale. Walks taking in the full ridge involve considerable ascent and exposed high ground. Gamlin End deserves particular attention when assessing a route’s steepness and the demands of a descent.

Views from the end of the ridge

The summit’s appeal lies partly in the contrast between its two sides. Buttermere gives the northern outlook a clear valley focus, with Grasmoor prominent beyond. Across Ennerdale, Pillar presents a much rougher mountain face. Looking along the ridge towards High Stile makes the connection between the neighbouring summits immediately clear.

High Crag is often remembered as one part of a ridge day, yet it rewards a pause in its own right. Its end-of-ridge position brings the surrounding valleys and passes into the same view. For walkers who enjoy understanding how the western fells fit together, that is a strong reason not to hurry over the summit.

Where High Crag stands

Summit at grid reference NY180139 · open full map

The real High Crag

Walking High Crag

We make artwork, not route guides — these are the guides we'd point a friend to:

• Download GPX File The High Stile Ridge from Buttermere (walkingbritain.co.uk)
• High Stile and Red Pike Circular, Cumbria, England (alltrails.com)
• 2401 High Crag (Buttermere) (hill-bagging.co.uk)

Weather on High Crag

Conditions estimated at summit height (745 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

High Crag on your wall

A painting of High Crag can recall more than a summit reached: the steep pull of Gamlin End, the ridge towards High Stile, or changing light above Buttermere. On a wall at home, that familiar outline keeps a particular day on the fells close.

Own “High Crag and Sunlit Tarn” — our painting of High Crag → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Western Fells

• Haystacks 597 m
• High Stile 806 m
• Pillar 892 m
• Red Pike (Buttermere) 755 m

Part of our guide to all 214 Wainwrights — see the full index.