This year has been a strange one, and it’s not over just yet. UK holidays in a luxury holiday cottage in the Lake District have risen in popularity thanks to closing borders and anxiety about travelling too far afield. So, for those who are allowed to travel, there has never been a better time to take a trip to the Lake District and see everything this stunning part of the country has to offer.
Throughout a time of uncertainty, one thing that is always available to everyone is a wonderful walk in nature. Fortunately, the Lakes is full of fantastic walks suitable for the whole family.
Here are our top picks for walks in the Lakes in winter that are suitable for everyone of all ability levels.
For an easy walk surrounded by magnificent sites, you should head to Buttermere. This four-and-a-half-mile walk is probably the most photographed lake in the Lake District and is surrounded by glorious mountain scenery. The mountains sweep straight up from the lakeshore to create steep, unbroken slopes. You can take in these breath-taking views without even setting foot off the valley floor.
With excellent footpaths, you’ll have plenty of scope to enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the glittering lake. There’s also a short tunnel through the rock at Hassness to provide the kids with an exhilarating moment on the return route.
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the Lake District, leading from the eastern fells to close to Penrith. You and your whole family can explore the shores on several of the walks linear to the lake using the Ullswater Steamer. Starting from Howtown, you can follow the lakeside path to the base of the fells onto Patterdale and Glenridding.
You’ll find nice, gentle slopes down to the water’s edge, but you can also enjoy the well-trodden lakeside path to climb Silver Crag for the more adventurous walker. Ullswater Shore is one of the most popular low-level walks in the Lakes, and Ullswater is renowned for its beauty and grandeur.
The views from Low Fell are spectacular, especially the breath-taking site of Melbreak and Crummock Water. It’s a short walk that is perfect for a morning visit to the Lakes. Enjoy the panorama of the high fells in Whiteside, Hopegill Head Grasmoor and the High Stile.
It’s an easy footpath that zigzags steadily up across the moorland, perfect for a family with young children who may struggle on steep inclines.
Famed for the thunderous roar of the waterfalls, Aira Force is a popular spot all year round. Take the trail through the woodland with its lush green ferns and evergreen specimen conifers that jut into the sky over the open glades.
The dramatic waterfall falls 70 feet from below a stone footbridge, and this beautiful walk is just a short distance from the car park and loops in a 2.1-kilometre trail. This easy walk can also be extended to High Force beyond or Gowbarrow fell.
Sallows in winter allows you to take in the beautiful surrounding snow-covered fells, and better still, it is usually a quiet walk as it is relatively unknown. Situated between Troutbeck and Kentmere, to the north you’ll find the ancient packhorse road of the Garburn Pass. It’s an easy climb to the summit, less than six miles in total, making it an ideal walk for this time of year.
With grassy slopes and outstanding views throughout, Sallows is a perfect walk away from the hustle and bustle of the Lake District.
Latrigg sits at the foot of the mighty Skiddaw, overlooking Keswick. This popular destination provides you with an incredible view of Derwentwater and the high fells beyond. You climb it from the edge of Keswick, and it takes around 90 minutes to reach the top. For an even less demanding walk that takes no time at all, you can start from the car park on the southern flanks of Skiddaw.
It’s a gentle walk with great scenery along the way that offers magnificent views from the top, ideal for families with kids in buggies.
The Lake District is full of fantastic walks for people of all ages and abilities, and there are plenty of beauty spots that look incredible in the winter months. If you’re looking to head away to the Lakes, book your luxury holiday cottages in the Lake District with Mill House Cottages today.
Mill House Cottages have fantastic five-star cottages available to book -group accommodation lake district- right in the heart of the Lake District. Contact us today to find out more.
