Outer Pike

The walk up Outer Pike isn't long, but it's steep enough to make you work for the views. Starting from near Kirkby Stephen, you're climbing proper moorland - the kind of fell that looks gentle from a distance and punishes you on the approach. The summit itself sits at 658 metres, and once you've caught your breath, the Pennines open up around you like a map someone's spread across the table.

You get limestone pavements, sparse vegetation, and sight lines that reach across three counties on a clear day. It's the sort of place walkers love - rough underfoot but genuinely rewarding. The whole thing takes a couple of hours from the start of the walk, so it's ideal if you want proper exercise without committing to a full day's hiking. Families with older kids who don't mind a bit of scramble will get something out of it; younger ones might find it a slog for what is, let's be honest, a modest height gain.

There's no visitor infrastructure at all - no cafe, no interpretation boards, no parking facilities close to the actual route. It's just you and the fell. That's either the whole appeal or a reason to pick somewhere else, depending on your tolerance for basic conditions. If you're based at Usha Gap Farm & Campsite nearby, it's an easy morning or afternoon sortie. Spring and early summer are best - the moorland's actually pleasant then, and the weather holds more often than not.