Thor's Buttress

The walk up to Thor's Buttress rewards you with one of the sharpest views in the Lake District - proper steep fell-side drops and Windermere spreading out below like someone's spilled a lake across the valley floor. It's a rock outcrop rather than a building, so come prepared for scrambling if you want to reach the actual summit; the path gets serious towards the end.

This is squarely for walkers with decent legs and no fear of heights. Families with young kids will find the final push tedious, and anyone after a gentle stroll should look elsewhere. The views themselves are absolutely worth the effort - you get Ambleside to the south, the fells rolling away north, and on a clear day the sense of being genuinely high up despite the modest altitude.

There's no charge, no facilities, no opening hours - just a mountain and a path. Allow two hours return from Ambleside itself, depending on fitness. Go early to avoid the crowds, and frankly, avoid midweek in summer when every fell-walker in England has the same idea.

If you're staying at Fisherground Campsite, it's less than six miles away - a proper morning mission before the site fills up. The Rock of Crag viewpoint nearby offers similar thrills with slightly less scramble if your knees are complaining.