Nab Scar
450m (1477ft)
The Eastern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
You can find Nab Scar & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See Nab Scar and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Nab Scar and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
*Walk & bag all 35 Wainwrights in The Eastern Fells area of The Lake District in just 8 easy-to-follow circular walks.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks. Click here for more information.
NB: Whether you print off a copy on to paper or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers Maps will prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal!
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11ml (17.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,633ft (1,107m) |
| Time: | 7.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Ambleside - Rydal - Nab Scar - Heron Pike - Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) - Great Rigg - Fairfield - Rydal Head - Hart Crag - Dove Crag - High Pike (Scandale) - Low Pike (Scandale) - High Sweden Bridge - High Sweden Coppice - Ambleside
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.25ml (19.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,984ft (1,214m) |
| Time: | 8½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Ambleside - Rydal - Nab Scar - Heron Pike - Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) - Greenhead Gill Head - Stone Arthur - Great Rigg - Fairfield - Rydal Head - Hart Crag - Dove Crag - High Pike (Scandale) - Low Pike (Scandale) - High Sweden Bridge - High Sweden Coppice - Ambleside
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.5ml (20km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,411ft (1,040m) |
| Time: | 8 hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Ambleside - Rydal - Nab Scar - Heron Pike - Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) - Great Rigg - Fairfield - Rydal Head - Hart Crag - Dove Crag - Little Hart Crag - Scandale Pass - Red Screes - Snarker Pike - Ambleside
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Nab Scar
Nick Tippins walked up Nab Scar on July 2nd, 2025 [from/via/route] c247: The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside [with] Fran
Paul Roddam climbed Nab Scar on September 14th, 2024 [from/via/route] From Ambleside [with] Bri and Barber [weather] Wet
Kate Peacock bagged Nab Scar on May 18th, 2024 [from/via/route] Helen & Amber walked to this one with me. Anti-clockwise. Great walk. Busy due to events but people were friendly [with] Me & Skye [weather] Sunny with a nice breeze - Sunburnt as the breeze made me think it wasn't as hot
Melfyn Parry hiked Nab Scar on November 21st, 2023 [from/via/route] Followed route C247 - walked out of Ambleside on the A591 & just after Scandale Bridge we crossed the road to follow the lane into the Rydal Hall estate, went passed the cafe & the Hall & then turned right to pass Rydal Mount. Here we veered left to take the stone steps path to the top of Nab Scar, again following a well defined path we were soon on Heron Pike. Continuing along the path with a slight detour to ascend Heron Pike north top. Continuing on to Great Rigg & onwards to Fairfield. We stopped here for lunch & the clouds lifted to give great views over towards Helvellyn & Sunday Crag. After pausing to take some photos we retraced our steps for a few metres before heading left to follow the ridge line to ascend Hart Crag, then Dove Crag & then High Pike. The undulating ridge takes you through some quite boggy areas & on to Low Pike & then down to High Sweden Bridge (a fascinating old bridge). All that was left to do from here was to follow the trail downwards in to Ambleside returning to the village by the Salutation Hotel. [with] DS [weather] Visibility was very good below 800m. By lunchtime the cloud had lifted even more to give clear views of the whole horseshoe. A dry day with sunny intervals, quite cold above 600m but very pleasant below this level. - Doing the walk in a clockwise direction as per C247 is best as the ascent anticlockwise would be much more of a cardio vascular workout.
David Higginbottom summited Nab Scar on February 8th, 2023 [from/via/route] Route 247 [with] Carolyn [weather] Very poor
James Hughes conquered Nab Scar on June 26th, 2023 [from/via/route] Nab Scar, Heron Pike, Great Rigg, Fairfield, Hart Cragg, Dove Cragg, High Pike, Low Pike [with] Solo [weather] Four seasons in a day. Unsettled with showers at times, cold & misty around Fairfield, improved on descent into Ambleside. - Chatted with Andrew from Littleborough. Outraged by parking cost & then toilet fee. Pint at Golden Rule (Robinsons Cumbria Way) at end.
Rob Prikanowski scaled Nab Scar on June 21st, 2023 [from/via/route] c247 [weather] Cloudy but dry, strong wind.
Nina Adams walked up Nab Scar on May 7th, 2023 [from/via/route] Stickle Tarn - Easedale Tarn - Grasmere - Alcock Tarn - Nab Scar [with] Craig [weather] Partly Cloudy 16C
Sarah Moore climbed Nab Scar on December 5th, 2022 [from/via/route] c247 / The Fairfield Horseshoe (from Ambleside) [with] On my own [weather] Beautiful start with a cold edge... turning to icy cold with sleet & minimal visibility between Great Rigg - Fairfield - Hart Crag. - This one scared me. The realisation that if I slipped up at Fairfield then I don't know that I could have waited an hour plus for mountain rescue was very scary. Used the GPS & was proud of myself but major "eeek"
Martin Hartshorne bagged Nab Scar on September 14th, 2022 [with] finley [weather] Low cloud then sunshine to finish
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Nab Scar
Steve Taylor and Ian Matthews Golledge looking back over Ambleside & Lake Windermere as we ascended Nab scar and on up to Fairfield
Helm Crag, Seat Sandal, Grisedale Hause, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Stone Arthur, Heron Crag, Nab Scar, Loughrigg and Grasmere above The Pass of Dunmail Raise from the top of High Raven Crag
Lake Windermere, Nab Scar, Heron Pike, Heron Pike (North Top) and Great Rigg (far right) from the summit of Low Pike (Scandale)
Rydal Water (centre) with Lake Windermere (top left) and Grasmere (right) from Nab Scar on The Fairfield Horeshoe
The Fairfield Horseshoe from the summit of Fairfield with Dove Crag (left), Rydal Beck, Ambleside, Windermere, Nab Scar and Heron Pike (prominent right)
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Nab Scar
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