Scout Scar and Cunswick Scar from Kendal
Kendal's doorstep classic: over Kendal Fell to the limestone edges of Cunswick Scar and Scout Scar, with the whole Lake District skyline from the Mushroom.
- Distance
- 10.3 km
- 6.4 miles
- Ascent
- 260 m
- High point 232 m
- Time
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- Walking time, no stops
- Grade
- Moderate
- Circular
Take this walk with you
Google Maps does not know most fell paths, so use it to get to the start, then follow the GPX in an app like OS Maps, Komoot or AllTrails. To see the line in Google Maps, open Google My Maps, create a map, choose Import and pick the KML file. It then appears in the Google Maps app under Saved, Maps.
Weather on this walk
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Kendal sits under two long limestone escarpments, and a walk along both is the best half-day you can have from the town without getting in a car. You climb over Kendal Fell, now a golf course, to Cunswick Scar, then cross to Scout Scar, whose cliffs drop sheer to the Lyth Valley.
The Mushroom, a domed stone shelter right on the edge, is the place to stop. Mountain names are carved round the inside of its roof, and on a clear day you can match them to the skyline from Coniston Old Man to the Langdale Pikes, with Morecambe Bay to the south.
The going is mostly easy, on grass and limestone, but the edges are unfenced. It suits anyone who can manage a couple of climbs out of town and wants big views for modest effort.
The route
- 1
Out of Kendal
From the car park head west up through the town onto the paths over Kendal Fell, following rights of way across the golf course with care.
- 2
Cunswick Scar
Continue north-west to the edge of Cunswick Scar and follow the escarpment, with the drop on your right and views over the fields to the Lakeland fells.
- 3
Across to Scout Scar
Bear south from Cunswick past the old quarry and the TV mast to the Underbarrow road at Scout Scar car park. Cross carefully and go through the gate onto the scar.
- 4
Along the edge to the Mushroom
Follow the path along the top of the limestone cliffs, keeping the edge on your right, to the Mushroom shelter.
- 5
Back to Kendal
Retrace a short way, then head east off the scar and back towards town past the Greenside lime kilns, dropping down through the streets to the start.
Questions people ask
Where is the Mushroom on Scout Scar?
It is a domed stone shelter on the edge of Scout Scar, about 20 minutes' walk south of the Scout Scar car park on the Underbarrow road west of Kendal.
Is there a short walk to Scout Scar?
Yes. From Scout Scar car park (LA8 8HB) a Miles without Stiles route climbs about 900 metres each way onto the scar. It is graded challenging because of 1 in 5 slopes.
How long is the Scout Scar walk from Kendal?
The circuit over Kendal Fell, Cunswick Scar and Scout Scar is about seven and a half miles. Allow three to four hours.
More walks nearby
Orrest Head from Windermere station
Easy, 2.5 km, 108 m up, about 30 minutes
A short climb straight from Windermere station through woodland to Orrest Head, a 360 degree viewpoint over Windermere and the central fells.
Brant Fell from Bowness
Easy, 5.6 km, 175 m up, about 1 hour 30 minutes
A short loop from Bowness over Post Knott to the rocky top of Brant Fell, with one of the best views over Windermere, returning on the Dales Way.
The Kentmere Horseshoe
Hard, 21.2 km, 1157 m up, about 6 hours
A long, classic round of nine Wainwrights from Kentmere: up the Garburn Road to Yoke and Ill Bell, over High Street, and home by Harter Fell and Shipman Knotts.
Food, drink and beds near the start
The Brewery Arts Centre Restaurant
Modern European, Kendal, ££, dogs welcome
Restaurant within a vibrant arts center offering modern European cuisine and seasonal menus. The perfect spot for pre-theater dining or casual meals in a creative atmosphere.
The Castle Inn
Historic Inn, Kendal, £
This 16th-century coaching inn in Kendal's historic heart has been serving travellers for over 400 years and shows no signs of stopping. Low beams, flagstone floors, and a genuine pub atmosphere make it feel authentically Cumbrian rather than touristy. The Castle Inn remains refreshingly unpretentious, offering honest accommodation and local ales in a building steeped in centuries of stories.