Great Sca Fell

Of the four Uldale Fells, the grassy sheep pasture that rises in three ridges from the low ground north of Skiddaw, this one is the highest. It is also the lowest of the three Sca fells in the Lakes, the other two being Scafell and Scafell Pike, and it has little else in common with them. Knott, the higher fell to the south east, is so close that Great Sca Fell has only about 13 metres of drop on its own.

Walks start at Longlands, on the minor road that skirts the Uldale Fells, though there is space for only about four cars. Overwater, a little further west, has easier parking. From the gate at Longlands, follow the old road that now carries the Cumbria Way, then turn off at the Charleton Wath ford up the deep cleft of Charleton Gill. A path zigzags over grass shelves to Little Sca Fell, which has a big cairn and a sunken windshelter, and on over a dip to Great Sca Fell. The Walk Lakes round carries on to Meal Fell and Great Cockup.

The going is easy, mostly grass and moss with hardly any stone, and the gradients are gentle. The catch is navigation. Paths are faint and the tops look much alike.

The summit is a broad, flat plateau, and the highest point could be almost anywhere within a few metres of the small cairn. The view north stretches over the Solway plain to Scotland. To the south, Skiddaw hides most of Lakeland, although Bowfell shows in the distance, some 30 km away.

The River Ellen starts on the western slopes and runs out to the Solway Firth.