46. HAYSTACKS
Alfred Wainwright’s favourite fell and final resting place, Haystacks is achingly pretty: a place where rocky, craggy coarseness meets the quaint charm of tarns and streams in perfect harmony. Alf described the peak as a ‘wonderful cure’ to the everyday worries of life. If you’re feeling stressed, go climb Haystacks. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
47. HELM CRAG
Rising gently over picturesque Grasmere, Helm Crag initially appears dumpy and unremarkable – and then you spot its knobbly, gnarled summit. Beyond the rocky excrescence of The Lion and The Lamb lies The Howitzer, a fear-inducing slab of angled rock for brave scramblers only. It’s the Wainwright summit even Alfred wimped out of. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
48. HELVELLYN
Up there with Britain’s best-loved mountains, Helvellyn is home to a horseshoe ridge of legendary quality. First comes Striding Edge, a knife-edge arête with a tantalisingly-good tightrope path edging along the crest, before bagging the summit and completing your high-level loop of Red Tarn via the rocky staircase of Swirral Edge.VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
49. HIGH STILE
Shapely and noble, High Stile is the highest point of the eye-catching ridge soaring proudly above Buttermere. Traversing this ridge – the Buttermere Edge – should not be rushed. It’s a place to linger: find a rocky outcrop and savour the panoramas over the exquisite Buttermere Valley and its wild neighbour Ennerdale. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
50. HIGH STREET
Behemoth of the far eastern fells and home to an ancient Roman road, High Street is a mountain that feels utterly huge. Its finest approach is over the rocky backbone of Rough Crag and Long Stile, but many climb it as part of the iconic Kentmere Round, a remote and tranquil summit-bagging horseshoe. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
51. ILL BELL
This mountain-shaped fell is perhaps the true star of the Kentmere Round. Part of the rollercoaster chain of hills that form the Horseshoe’s western arm, its wonderfully symmetrical bell-shape and steep eastern crags that plunge dramatically toward Kentmere Reservoir lend it a stature far greater than its actual height. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
52. INGLEBOROUGH
There’s a reason Ingleborough represents Yorkshire’s Three Peaks in this list. Characterised by its eroded and exposed layers of millstone grit, shale, sandstone and stream-swallowing limestone, and home to caves and the remains of Iron Age settlements, an ascent of this icon is an exploration of the history of the Dales’ people and landscape. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
53. KINDER SCOUT
If England has a true wilderness, the vast exposed summit plateau of Kinder Scout – almost featureless except for its shifting peat maze of groughs and hags – is as close to it as anywhere. By contrast, its edges are defined by striking gritstone formations and steep cloughs cut by foaming cascades, including the eponymous Kinder Downfall waterfall. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
54. LADHAR BHEINN
Ladhar Bheinn is the most westerly Munro on the Scottish mainland. But its location in the expansive wilds of the Knoydart peninsular surrounded by sea and lochs on three sides give it an island feel of remoteness. With multiple summits, sculpted ridgelines, and benefited by an overnight approach, it’s a mountain full of drama and adventure. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
55. LIATHACH
‘The Grey One’ is regarded by mountain connoisseurs as amongst the finest on mainland Britain. It’s an opinion that’s hard to argue with. An 8km writhing mass of striated Torridonian Sandstone, the Liathach massif is home to two Munro summits, airy ridges, spectacular rock pinnacles, and some of the best scrambling in the UK. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
56. LOCHNAGAR
Taking its name from the lochan set like a dark gem in the spectacular steep-sided corrie, Lochnagar is a mountain defined by the steep and clefted cliffs that surround its watery namesake. Located within the Balmoral Estate, its top is pointed and proud, and one of the most celebrated Munro summits. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
57. MAESGLASE
Embedded in the deep south of Snowdonia National Park, on paper Maesglase is a swirling mass of contours. In the flesh, its flanks are shaped by glacier-cut valleys and hanging cwms. On the mountain’s eastern-side the Nant Maesglase stream flows over cliffs in a 160m plunging cascade of foaming white waterfall. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
58. MERRICK
Rising from Galloway Forest Park, the first area in the UK to be given Dark Sky Park status, The Merrick is one of the five fingers of the ‘Range of the Awful Hand’ and the highest summit in Southern Scotland. Theoretically, the line of sight from Merrick’s summit to Snowdon is the longest in Britain. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
59. MOEL HEBOG
Moel Hebog is Beddgelert’s peak; the mountain rises sheer and proud above the village like a protective guardian, tall and craggy from the east, rounded and green to the west. Its geology is the stuff of textbooks, and a cave on Hebog’s neighbouring offspring Moel yr Ogof once hid a Welsh Prince. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
60. MOEL SIABOD
The eastern sentry to Snowdonia, Moel Siabod stands guard over the village of Capel Curig. A variety of ascent options including easy grass slopes, historical quarry tracks and a gentle ridge scramble all end on a summit that provides one of the best views into the Snowdon massif to be found anywhere in the National Park. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
61. MYNYDD DRWS-Y-COED
This is quite simply the best and most interesting section of the Nantlle Ridge. Sandwiched between Y Garn to the east and Trum y Ddysgl to the west, and technically a subsidiary top of the latter, Mynydd Drws-y-Coed’s summit is narrow, exposed, scrambly, and the undisputed highlight of the 9km traverse. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
62. PEN Y FAN
Chief of the Brecon Beacons and the highest summit in south Wales, Pen y Fan is a hugely popular peak with routes to the top to suit everyone from first-time day-trippers to potential SAS commandos. Red sandstone creates its unmistakeable layered profile and gives hue to the Bronze Age cairn that tops the summit.VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
63. PEN YR OLE WEN
An almost pyramidal peak, Pen r Ole Wen looms over the elbow of Ogwen, watching from above as screaming jets pull hard right to skim along the valley floor. It’s a gateway to the Carneddau, a viewpoint for the Glyderau, a hill of pinnacled ridges and secluded cwms, and a beauty of a mountain.VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
64. PIKE OF STICKLE
Although firmly joined to the Langdale Pikes’ lumpen massif, the Pike of Stickle boldly pokes its head above the parapet as it watches over the head of Langdale itself, keen to be the Pike that’s noticed. It was also the site of a Neolithic axe quarry which, if you know where to look, can still be spotted.VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
65. PILLAR
This broad, flat summit is wonderfully situated above the increasingly wild valley of Ennerdale to the north and Mosedale, the remote offshoot of Wasdale, to the south. As such the scenery is nothing short of spectacular, including the monolithic seen-but-not-touched Pillar Rock, whose own compact summit is the realm of steely sinewed climbers only. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
66. PLACE FELL
By Lake District standards Place Fell is a rather isolated hill, with Boredale Hause its only tether to neighbouring fells. As such, it’s often overlooked. But this is a rocky gem, cupped in the crook of Ullswater and offering a magnificent viewpoint over the lake, and is thoroughly deserving of an expedition in its own right. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
67. PUMLUMON
A massive massif, Pumlumon’s (or the anglicised Plynlimon) high point is Pen Pumlumon Fawr. From the slopes below this summit the Rivers Wye, Rheidol, and Britain’s longest, the Severn, begin their journeys to the sea. It’s a high and wild landscape, rich in bird life and a genuine escape for the solitude-seeking hillwalker. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
68. QUINAG
Even alongside the other iconic mountains of Assynt and Sutherland, Quinag is a bit special. This complex ‘Y’ shaped massif is characterised by its three dramatic ridges radiating from a central point with a defined summit at the end of each. Put bluntly, hillwalking doesn’t get much better or more rewarding than this. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
69. RHINOG FAWR
This is the rough part of Snowdonia. Not ‘trolleys in the canal’ rough, but a craggy, vegetated, wild kind of rugged. Stick to the paths, such as the Roman Steps (actually a Medieval packhorse route) for the easiest going, or head off the beaten track to tackle the heather and rocks for full-on adventure. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
70. ROSEBERRY TOPPING
Its alter-ego as the Matterhorn of Yorkshire might be pushing credulity a little, but there’s no denying Roseberry Topping’s prominence. Sticking out from the plateau of the North York Moors, its hooked summit is visible for miles around as the only thing of any great height. And for that reason, the view from its top is superb. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
71. SCA FELL
Sca Fell is a peak of two faces. To the north and east its tall cliffs are dark and imposing. To the south and west its slopes are green and drawn out. Just 14m relegate it to second highest in England and it’s a mountain worthy of exploration, and not just as an after-thought to its neighbour. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
72. SCAFELL PIKE
England’s highest summit is not easily won. Whichever way is taken to the summit demands an investment of time and effort, but whether it starts from Wasdale, Eskdale, Langdale or Seathwaite, it’s a journey full of epic Lakeland landscape. It’s a complex beast, but one that offers ample reward for time spent figuring it out. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
73. SCHIEHALLION
From the west the mountain appears as an almost perfect pyramid. In reality it’s a long, tapered hill, which climbs smoothly and conveniently to a narrow, elevated summit. It was once used to weigh the world, fairies are rumoured to gather on its slopes, and it’s sometimes described as the centre of Scotland. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
74. SGURR A’ MHAIM
The Ring of Steall is one of the greatest mountain walks in Scotland, and Sgurr a’ Mhaim is the best peak on it. Tethered to the Mamores range by the narrow and thrilling Devil’s Ridge, its pale summit is quartzite topped (often mistaken for snow) and a pedestal from which to take in a phenomenal mountain panorama. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
75. SGURR ALASDAIR
The highest peak on the Isle of Skye and the notorious Black Cuillin, Sgurr Alasdair is every bit as challenging as you’d expect. The routes to the summit are either difficult, long, or both, but the rewards… oh my. Scramble the grippy volcanic gabbro to the deceptively compact summit for other-worldly views and a sense of epic achievement. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
76. SGURR DEARG
If Sgurr Dearg doesn’t ring a bell, the name of its famous summit feature will sound like a clang: The Inaccessible Pinnacle. The most hard-won Munro of all, and one that requires rock climbing to top, this shark-fin of rock is the greatest challenge UK peak baggers will face and the highlight of Skye’s Cuillin for many. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
77. SGURR FHUARAN
The Five Sisters of Kintail is a mountain chain on the north of Glen Shiel, and Sgurr Fhuaran sits in the centre as the highest and most impressive. A knot of ridges with a pleasingly prominent summit, Sgurr Fhuaran can be climbed on its own, but is most satisfying as the highlight of a full traverse of The Sisters. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
78. SGURR NA CICHE
While not Knoydart’s highest, this is its most striking mountain. Set between Lochs Nevis and Cuaich in the ‘Rough Bounds’, its upper slopes are steep and craggy, and its summit pointed, prominent and identifiable from as far away as Ben Nevis. Another peak that attracts the ‘Matterhorn of…’ epithet, Sgurr na Ciche perhaps deserves it. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
79. SGURR NAN GILLEAN
Even with the Black Cuillin’s wealth of viciously angular peaks, Sgurr nan Gillean (left) stands out. The subject of innumerous photographs from Sligachan’s stone bridge, reaching its table-top tiny summit (one of the UK’s finest) requires at least Grade 2 scrambling, and potentially a rope for the more nervous summiter. But, by golly, it’s worth the effort. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
80. SKIDDAW
This northern fell is a beast; a sprawling behemoth of a mountain. What it lacks in intricacy it makes up for with sheer presence. The Back o’ Skiddaw is wild and remote (and home to England’s highest hostel), and its summit, while barren and rocky, presents a phenomenal view of Lakeland to the south. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
81. SLIEVE DONARD
Northern Ireland’s highest peak and the pinnacle of the Mourne Mountains, Slieve Donard rises directly from the shore of the Irish Sea. The 31km Mourne Wall joins a stone tower (and the remains of two burial cairns) on the summit, from where the Isle of Man, Anglesey, and the West Coast of Scotland can be seen. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
82. SLIOCH
Over the steely waters of Loch Maree, Slioch’s craggy western face rises like a castle keep. Its eastern flanks are a more complex arrangement of bealachs, ridges and coires, but the isolation of the mountain as a whole ensures the summit views are epic, encompassing the Fisherfield Forest, the Torridon mountains and the full length of Loch Maree.VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
83. SNOWDON
Put your preconceptions to one side and forget what you think you know about mountain-top cafés, intrusive train lines, and tourist-crowded summit cairns. Snowdon is a masterpiece. With a cartwheel of ridgelines separating unique cwms, each of a different character, and studded by copper-tinted lakes deep in legend, Snowdon is possibly the finest massif in Britain. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
84. ST SUNDAY CRAG
St Sunday Crag is an outlier of the Fairfield Horseshoe. But with sheer cliffs that plunge into Grisedale (home to the thrilling Pinnacle Ridge), summit views that stretch over the Helvellyn massif and Ullswater, and a lakeside presence that sees it referred to as ‘the Ullswater Fell’, St Sunday is very much a Crag worth bagging. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
85. STAC POLLAIDH
This diminutive mountain is the embodiment of why metres alone do not make a mountain. Its compact perfection makes for a pleasingly efficient mountain adventure, and one that includes the unique scenery of Assynt, the opportunity for some epic scrambling, and is bursting with more character than can be found in peaks many times Stac Pollaidh’s size. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
86. SUGAR LOAF
Mynydd Pen-y-fâl, to give Sugar Loaf its original Welsh name, is not a big hill. But because it stands separated from any other peak, including its brethren of the Black Mountains, it rises in wonderful isolation above the rolling landscape of Monmouthshire. To see it is to want to stand on its conical summit. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
87. SUILVEN
Few hills are as genuinely loved as Suilven. Its isolated island-mountain stature, protruding from the low cnoc-and-loch landscape of Assynt, shares more with the monoliths of Monument Valley than a typical Scottish hill. But it is this unique double-summited, steep sided, narrow ridged and entirely unmistakable form that never fails to win the hearts of hillwalkers. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
88. THE CALF
The highest of the Howgill Fells, The Calf sits in both the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the county of Cumbria. It’s a green, flat-topped hill, whose best ascent follows Cautley Holme Beck past the 198m Cautley Spout waterfall to finish with a panorama that includes the Yorkshire Three Peaks and 20 miles of Lake District skyline. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
89. THE CHEVIOT
Underneath its current peat-bog appearance lies the remnants of an ancient and thankfully extinct volcano. Its toes step tentatively over the Scottish border, but the bulk of this high and eerily bleak hill is entirely English. A flag-stoned offshoot of the Pennine Way stops at the summit, while just north lay the remains of a crashed B-17 bomber. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
90. THE COBBLER
Knobbly, gnarled and unmistakable, Ben Arthur – affectionately known as The Cobbler due to its shoemaker-esque silhouette – is just 30m short of Munro status. Nonetheless, the culmination of its ascent, which involves clambering though a rock window onto a smooth and sloping summit boulder perched airily above empty space, is amongst the most thrilling top-outs of any peak. VIEW DIGITAL ROUTE
