Gaskill Tarn

The walk up to Gaskill Tarn rewards you with something proper special - a high moorland lake that sits at around 1,500 feet with views that stretch across the Pennines on a clear day. It's not a quick stroll; expect a solid hour's climb from the valley floor near Appleby-in-Westmorland, but the effort pays off once you reach the water's edge.

What you get is raw, windswept moorland in its true form. The tarn itself is dark and moody rather than Instagram-pretty, fringed by rough grass and bog. Walkers genuinely rate this - it's the sort of place where you'll see red grouse in the heather and maybe a golden eagle if you're lucky. Families with older kids who've got proper boots and don't mind exposed fell terrain will find it worthwhile. Younger ones or anyone after an easy afternoon out should probably look elsewhere.

The approach is steep in sections and the path can be boggy, especially after rain. Go in decent weather - cloud cover here means you lose the views entirely and it becomes rather bleak. Allow three to four hours for the round trip, depending on fitness.

If you're based at Wild Rose Holiday Park between Appleby and Penrith, this works as a proper half-day adventure. It sits nicely alongside other Pennine walks in the area - the kind of thing that makes a fell holiday feel earned rather than easy.