Skiddaw Wainwright: Height, Views and Fell Facts

At 930.4 metres, Skiddaw is the fourth-highest Wainwright and one of the defining fells of the northern Lake District. Its broad, sweeping flanks rise immediately north of Keswick, carrying a long summit ridge rather than a sharp rocky crown. Walkers value it for its scale, open ground and far-reaching outlook, with Bassenthwaite Lake and the surrounding Northern Fells spread below in clear weather.

What defines Skiddaw

At 930.4 metres (3,052 feet), Skiddaw is the fourth-highest of the 214 Wainwrights. It is also one of just four Wainwright fells above 3,000 feet, alongside Scafell Pike, Scafell and Helvellyn. Yet its form is quite different from the broken crags of the Scafell range. Skiddaw is a broad massif of steep, largely smooth flanks, topped by a long, stony ridge running roughly north to south.

Much of the fell is formed from the Skiddaw Group, a sequence of mainly mudstones, siltstones and sandstones laid down in deep water during the Ordovician Period. These rocks are among the oldest major geological units exposed in the Lake District. Their character, together with glacial shaping, helps account for Skiddaw’s rounded profile and comparatively limited crag.

Position and views

Skiddaw rises directly north of Keswick and forms a commanding backdrop to the town. Bassenthwaite Lake lies below its western side, while Derwent Water is visible to the south. From the summit ridge, clear conditions can reveal the Helvellyn range, the central and western fells, the open country of Back o’Skiddaw and the Solway lowlands. Southern Scotland may also be seen across the Solway Firth.

The upper fell is open and exposed, with few features to interrupt the scale of the ground. That simplicity is central to Skiddaw’s character. Cloud, wind and changing light can alter the experience quickly, while on a clear day the summit provides one of the broadest geographical overviews in the Northern Fells.

Skiddaw in The Northern Fells

Skiddaw appears in Book Five of Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, The Northern Fells. It is the highest fell in that volume and the dominant summit of its immediate group, standing apart in height from much of the country to the north and east.

Its neighbouring Wainwrights show the wider structure of the massif. Skiddaw Little Man stands to the south-east, Carl Side and Long Side occupy the western side, and Bakestall extends the high ground northwards. Together they make Skiddaw more than an isolated summit: it is the centre of a substantial family of ridges and subsidiary tops above Keswick and Bassenthwaite.

Its height, recognisable outline and close relationship with Keswick have made Skiddaw one of the best-known fells in England. For many walkers, it is also an early encounter with the scale and exposure of the Lake District’s highest ground.

Where Skiddaw stands

Summit at grid reference NY260290 · open full map

The real Skiddaw

Walking Skiddaw

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

• Climbing Skiddaw from Keswick (where2walk.co.uk)
• Lake District Walk: Misty Skiddaw (walklakes.co.uk)
• All the Walking Routes Up Skiddaw (sallyscottages.co.uk)

Weather on Skiddaw

Conditions estimated at summit height (930 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Skiddaw on your wall

Skiddaw’s broad profile and changing northern light translate naturally into art. Our AI Art Personas have painted this landscape, drawing out the muted slopes, open summit and views towards Bassenthwaite. A print or canvas offers a quiet way to keep the fell’s familiar presence close at home.

Own “Vibrant Skiddaw Above Derwentwater” — our painting of Skiddaw → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Northern Fells

• Carl Side 747 m
• Skiddaw Little Man 865 m
• Bakestall 674 m
• Long Side 734 m

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