Haystacks Circular Walk from Buttermere
Haystacks is one of my favourite Lake District walks, especially when paired with a circuit of Buttermere Lake. The lake is beautiful in its own right, but the views back down across Buttermere from Haystacks are even better.
Haystacks itself is a wonderfully characterful fell. Rather than one long, uniform climb to a broad summit, the route weaves through rocky outcrops, across stony paths, and offers constantly changing views. The summit area, in particular, has real personality, with its jumble of crags and smaller tops.
Starting from Buttermere Village, this 8.5-mile circular walk follows the western shore of the lake before climbing up to Haystacks’ summit. It then descends via Warnscale Beck and Gatesgarth, before looping back along the eastern shoreline to finish where you began.
This post contains everything you need to plan the walk, including how to get there, maps, what to expect along the way, and a detailed breakdown of the hike itself.
Haystacks Circular walk logistics
Start/Finish: Buttermere Village (St James Church).
How to get there: There is free parking by the church, or you can use the paid car park by the Buttermere Court Hotel. The 77/77A bus also runs from Keswick.
Distance: 8.5 miles (13.7 km).
Time: 4.5 – 5 hours.
Elevation Gain: 671 metres.
Difficulty: Challenging. Steep ascent up Scarth Gap. Hands-on scrambling required near Haystacks’ summit.
Best for: A rewarding day hike with great views, lakeside walking, a summit climax, and a satisfying circular route.
Haystacks circular from Buttermere map
I would definitely recommend walking this route anticlockwise, as the scramble near Haystacks’ summit is better to climb than descend.
Getting to the trailhead
If you’re driving into Buttermere, I cannot stress enough how vital it is to get there early during sunny weekends and public holidays. The village is small, so there is limited parking, and the parking fills very quickly.
This route starts at the little Church in Buttermere (St James), as there is free parking along the roadside here.
You can alternatively make use of one of the paid car parks around Buttermere Village. We tend to go for the one next to the Buttermere Court Hotel, as it’s the closest to the lake.
If you’re coming by bus, you can take the 77 or 77A from Keswick, both of which take about 50 minutes. Each service runs roughly every two hours, but they alternate with each other, so there is usually one bus per hour in total. If the 77 runs one hour, the 77A will usually run the next.
Detailed breakdown of the walk itself
Along the western shore of Buttermere Lake
From St James’ Church, or wherever in Buttermere you’ve parked, head towards the lake. The entrance to the path is right beside the Buttermere Court Hotel. Go through the wooden gate, then follow the paths flanked by fields dotted with sheep, until you reach the lakeshore.
Once you meet the water, turn right to begin following the shoreline path.
In my opinion, the western shore is the prettier side of Buttermere. The trail winds through woodland for much of the first section, and you’ll also pass a lovely little waterfall about halfway along. As the trees begin to thin towards the southern end, the views open up beautifully, with Fleetwith Pike rising dramatically above the far end of the lake.
It’s a very relaxed and easy start to the walk.
Turn off for Scarth Gap
When you reach the very end of the lake, look out for a clear path branching right and climbing uphill. It’ll be just before you would naturally turn left to loop around the southern tip of the lake. This is where you leave the lakeside trail.
Take this turn to begin the climb towards Scarth Gap Pass, an old mountain pass linking Buttermere with Ennerdale. It’s a fairly direct ascent, and can feel like a bit of a leg burner, but it means you gain height quickly. Keep looking behind you as you go, because the view back over Buttermere gets better and better with every few minutes of climbing.
Climb to Haystacks’ summit
At the top of Scarth Gap, turn left for Haystacks.
This next section is one of the reasons I recommend walking the route anticlockwise. The climb to the summit is rocky and quite scrambly, so you’ll need to use your hands here and there. It’s nothing too technical, but if you dislike scrambling, it may feel a little challenging. I’d much rather climb up this section than try to descend it.
Once you reach the summit itself, you’re rewarded with what is, in my opinion, one of the most characterful tops in the Lake District. Rather than one obvious cairn on a grassy dome, Haystacks feels like a maze of rocky knolls and crags.
Pass Innominate Tarn
Continue over the summit and begin descending on the far side. In clear weather, the route is obvious enough, but it can be a little confusing in the mist. I recommend having the route downloaded on your phone.
Before long, you’ll reach Innominate Tarn, a striking little lake tucked among the rocks.
If you know the Lake District well, you’ll likely have heard of Alfred Wainwright, the guidebook author who shaped how generations explored the fells. His ashes were scattered at Innominate Tarn, as Haystacks was his favourite fell.
Beyond the tarn, the path becomes stonier and crosses areas of loose slate. Haystacks was historically quarried, which is why parts of this section feel rougher and more broken underfoot. Personally, I think it adds to the charm. It gives the landscape texture, and the scenery here feels more rugged. Ahead, you’ll also see the rocky shape of Green Crag.
Descend towards Warnscale Beck
Keep following the main path as it bends left towards Warnscale Beck.
As you approach the beck, keep an eye out on your left for the Warnscale Head Bothy, which you should spot just a short way off the main path. This is a stone shelter, free for anyone to use, and it’s really worth the quick detour. You can step inside to check it out, and there’s a really nice view of Buttermere from its window.
Back on the main route, the descent starts to become quite steep and can be tough on the knees. Trekking poles are very handy here. Thankfully, it doesn’t last too long, and the path soon eases into a flatter trail leading into Gatesgarth.
Into Gatesgarth
You’ll come out by the road at Gatesgarth.
There is a small seasonal cafe here where you can grab a drink or snack if you fancy it. I often use it as an excuse to get a coffee or ice cream.
From Gatesgarth, you’ll need to walk along the road for around 10 minutes before you can rejoin the lakeside path. Roadside walking is never ideal, but the road is quiet with few cars.
Then look out for the obvious lakeside path branching left off the road, which rejoins the eastern shore of the lake.
Along the eastern shore of Buttermere Lake
Take the path along Buttermere’s eastern shore.
This side of the lake is more open than the western side, with lovely reflections on calm days and constant views across the water to the fells you’ve just descended from. Around halfway along, you’ll pass through the short rock tunnel at Hassness.
Keep following the shoreline all the way back to where you originally joined the lake. From there, retrace your steps back through the field-flanked paths to Buttermere Court Hotel and back into Buttermere Village.
Alternate Haystacks walks
Another good way to climb Haystacks is to combine it with Fleetwith Pike. (See map here).
The climb up Fleetwith Pike is steep, rocky, and fairly relentless in places, but the rewards are immediate, with superb views over Buttermere, Crummock Water, and the surrounding fells. From there, you can continue across to Haystacks.
If you’d prefer a shorter and more direct walk up Haystacks, I’d recommend starting from Gatesgarth rather than Buttermere Village. (See map here). There is a sizeable car park at Gatesgarth, and the 77/77A buses from Keswick also stop here.
Starting from Gatesgarth cuts out the full circuit of Buttermere, which reduces both distance and time quite a bit. This is a good option if your main goal is Haystacks itself, or if you’d rather save the Buttermere lakeside walk for another day.
About The Author
Lauren Pears is a freelance travel writer and blogger who writes about active adventure travel. She’s been blogging for almost 10 years, and has written for publications such as Lonely Planet, World Nomads, and Southeast Asia Backpacker.
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