Lake District
Scale Knotts
360M
1181FT
About Scale Knotts
Rising above the southern reaches of Haweswater near Mardale, this modest Synge-classified height offers a quiet alternative to the busier High Street range. It is characterized by rocky outcrops and steep, grassy slopes, providing an intimate perspective of the deep Mardale valley and the surrounding crags of Harter Fell.
Key Statistics
Rank
671st Highest in Region
Parent Range
Far Eastern Fells
Prominence
?
12m
Nearest Town
Kentmere
Geology
Scale Knotts is made of ancient lava flows and hardened volcanic ash. These rugged rocks are remnants of powerful eruptions that created the ground beneath your boots.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY454055
Latitude
54.4427°N
Longitude
2.8426°W
Did You Know?
- •The name combines the Old Norse skáli, meaning a temporary summer hut or shieling, with knuhtr, describing a small, rocky hill or crag.
- •It is one of the summits documented by Timothy Synge in his 1989 book The Lakeland Fells, which catalogued nearly 300 tops to provide a more comprehensive list than the traditional Wainwrights.
- •From the summit, there is a clear view down the length of Haweswater reservoir, where the remains of the drowned village of Mardale Green occasionally reappear during periods of extreme drought.
- •Situated on the lower eastern slopes of the High Street massif, it serves as a useful navigational marker for those descending from Kidsty Pike toward the Mardale Head car park.
- •It remains one of the few places in the Far Eastern fells where you can reliably avoid the crowds, as most walkers are too busy looking for the Roman Road on the ridge above to notice this rocky outcrop.