We’re proud of our location on the Borrowdale road, with Derwentwater a short walk one way and open fell rising almost immediately the other. There’s no transitional bit where you’re not quite walking yet. The walk starts at the door.
That matters more than it sounds. A lot of what makes a good day on the fells is the bit either side of it: not spending half the morning travelling to a trailhead, and not arriving back exhausted with a long journey still ahead before you can get your boots off. Walks from Keswick, done properly, should start and end somewhere that already understands what you’ve just been doing.
If you want a proper walk without committing to a full day on the fells, the lake is a genuinely good option. A loop around Derwentwater takes the best part of a morning or afternoon depending on your pace, and it changes character constantly: wooded stretches, open shoreline, and the odd view back up towards Skiddaw that stops you for a minute.
It’s a walk we’d point most first-time visitors towards, because it gives you a proper sense of the landscape without needing specialist kit or a weather window. Good boots and something waterproof are enough. It’s flat enough for most fitness levels, long enough to feel like you’ve done something, and it brings you back round towards Keswick and, if you’re staying with us, onto the Borrowdale road within easy reach of a warm room and a proper meal.
Ask most people what walk to do from Keswick and Catbells comes up almost immediately, and it deserves the reputation. It’s short by fell standards, a few hours up and back depending on route, but it’s a proper climb with a ridge walk and views over Derwentwater that are genuinely hard to beat. It’s steep in places rather than difficult, which is part of why it’s become the fell that people who don’t normally walk fells still talk about afterwards.
Worth bearing in mind: the weather can shift quickly even on a walk this manageable. Keswick’s weather can change several times before lunch, and Catbells is exposed enough on the ridge that a clear morning doesn’t guarantee a clear afternoon. Check the forecast before you go, and don’t hesitate to turn back if it closes in.
Borrowdale, the valley we’re closest to, is where the walking gets serious for those who want it. Routes here range from gentle valley-floor walks to proper days out on Glaramara or Scafell Pike territory for anyone equipped and experienced enough. The valley itself is worth walking even without a summit in mind: dry-stone walls, scattered farms, and some of the most photographed stretches of countryside in England, for good reason.
This is also where the waterfalls sit. A walk from Keswick to Lodore, along the eastern shore of Derwentwater, is one of the better half-day routes we’d recommend, a proper walk with a genuine destination at the end of it rather than a there-and-back for the sake of mileage. After heavy rain, which Keswick gets its fair share of, the falls are well worth the detour.
A fair number of our guests plan their walk around a dog as much as around the scenery, and Keswick makes that easy. Derwentwater’s shoreline paths are straightforward for dogs of most fitness levels, Catbells is manageable on a lead for most, and Borrowdale has enough variety that you can pick a route to suit an older or younger dog without compromising on a proper day out. We’re set up for this at the hotel too: a tired dog coming back through the door after a day on the fells is a normal part of how Marymount runs.
Keswick’s weather can change faster than people expect, so it pays to be prepared. Proper boots, a genuinely waterproof jacket, and layers you can add or remove as the fells decide what kind of day it’s going to be. For anything beyond Derwentwater’s shoreline, a map or a reliable route on your phone is worth having even on a well-marked walk, since cloud on the fells can remove landmarks quickly.
A walking day from Keswick works better when the hotel either side of it is built around it: somewhere sensible for wet boots, breakfast early enough to make the most of the day, and food in the evening that suits an appetite earned outdoors. That shapes most of how we run things at Marymount, because most of our guests are here to walk.
If you’re planning walks from Keswick and want somewhere that feels genuinely part of the landscape, that’s what we’ve built.
Whether you’re after a gentle lakeside route or a full day on the fells, we’re happy to point you towards the right walk for your day, your fitness, and the weather. Get in touch with the team, or check current availability below.