Elsey

The walk up Elsey from Skipton is a proper Yorkshire fell ramble - nothing fancy, just good honest moorland climbing. You're looking at a modest peak by Lake District standards, but it rewards the effort with uninterrupted views across the Pennines and down towards Airedale. The terrain changes as you ascend, shifting from green pasture into rougher, heather-covered slopes that feel genuinely wild even though civilization isn't far below.

This one's for walkers who actually like walking, not Instagram hunters. The summit itself is a working landscape rather than a Instagram-ready viewpoint - you'll see grouse moors, stone walls, and the bones of the Yorkshire hills laid bare. Allow a couple of hours for a steady ascent and descent, depending on your fitness. There's no café or facilities up top, so bring water and snacks.

Families with younger children might find the climb a bit relentless, though confident hill walkers in their teens will manage fine. The real joy here is the solitude and the honest graft of proper upland walking. If you're based at Tip Top Campsite - just a few miles south near Skipton - this makes an excellent half-day outing without needing to drive far. Weather matters enormously on Elsey; clear days offer spectacular views, but mist rolls in fast and the fell becomes genuinely exposed. Check conditions before heading out. It's free, as all proper Yorkshire fells should be.