Kinder Scout Walk from Edale – A Complete Guide 

This Kinder Scout Walk from Edale is one of the Peak District’s most iconic walking routes. In this guide, I share an exciting circular route to Kinder Scout and all the essential info you’ll need before visiting.

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Kinder Scout Walk from Edale at a Glance

 Kinder Scout Walk FAQs

 Getting There and Parking

You will start your Kinder Scout walk from Edale, located in the Hope Valley area of the Peak District. It’s 5 miles south of Castleton, 12 miles north of Buxton, and 20 miles East of Macclesfield. 

The best place to park in Edale is Edale Car Park – You can click here for the exact Google Map location. From there, you’ll take a short walk through the village before joining the trail marked ‘Grindsbrook’. It will be on your right shortly after walking past The Old Nags Head pub.

Best Time to Visit

If you go walking in the Peak District, aim for a clear and dry day—especially in this instance since this walk is all about the views!

Another thing to remember when planning your visit is that Kinder Scout is a popular walk. During weekends and school holidays, you may wish to arrive before 9 a.m. to avoid any parking issues.

Kinder Scout Circular Walk from Edale Map

Kinder Scout Walk from Edale Difficulty 

I would classify this walk as moderately difficult since little technical ability is required. That said, it’s still not a hike to be taken lightly. 

First, there’s the distance to consider. You need to be in reasonably good shape to tackle 13 km in one day. Add that to the 500-metre ascent, and you’ve got yourself a strenuous hike that will challenge even the fittest of individuals.  

The trickiest part in terms of terrain is the ascent up Grindsbrook Clough. This section involves a steep 2km climb/scramble beside a cascading waterfall. It was tough, but I figured it would be much easier to ascend this way rather than come down. 

 Other Things Worth Knowing

Dogs: The Kinder Scout trail is dog-friendly.

Kids: Older children will be fine on this walking route.

Pushchair/Wheelchair Access: Unfortunately, this route is not accessible with a pushchair or wheelchair.

Footwear: Supportive footwear with a good grip is a hiking essential for this Kinder Scout walk.

Weather: Be mindful that the weather can change quickly in the hills. Be prepared for all the seasons.

Facilities: There are pubs, toilets, picnic benches, cafes etc. in Edale.

Map: It’s always good to have a map handy. We use All Trails.

Our Experience Walking to
Kinder Scout from Edale

From Edale Car Park, we made our way North through the village. The Peak District is full of quaint little towns and villages, and Edale is no different. I paid particular attention to The Old Nags Head Pub. I vowed to stop in for an obligatory post-walk pint.

Not long after the pub, I noticed the trail on our right leading to Grindsbrook. The path led us over a bridge and onto a vast grassy plateau. You’ll want to follow the path to the left.

You’ll know you’re on the right track when you walk through a wooden gate and into a woodland area.

The woodland section of the walk was over in minutes, leading to a pretty stream, which we crossed by a bridge. The Grindsbrook Clough ascent begins here, and the views are incredible.

I’d been looking forward to this next section after reading reviews from other hikers. Scrambling up a waterfall sounded right up our street. It’s not a fierce waterfall, but it’s fun all the same.

It was my favourite part of the walk. We traversed back and forth across the stream, looking out for the most well-trodden trail. There’s no clear path; you must suss it out for yourself. Some sections require both hands and feet, but the scrambling is minimal. 

After what seemed like a never-ending incline, we made it to the top. We took a quick breather here and admired the views before following the footpath to the left across the Kinder Plateau.

We lucked out with the weather this day. The clear skies allowed for incredible views as far as the eye could see. Plenty of interesting rock formations and viewpoints make for cool photo ops.

We’d read that the highest point of Kinder Scout was underwhelming, so we followed the advice to head to Kinder Low instead. There’s a trig point here, and the views are better. Plus, there’s only a 3-metre difference in height. 

From the trig point, the trail heads south past Edale rocks and follows the Pennine Way towards Jacob Ladder. Here is another area of outstanding natural beauty, making the descent all the more enjoyable.

A 17th-century stone bridge marks the end of Jacobs Ladder and there’s just 2km to go from this point. We felt a slight incline in sections in our tired legs, but the promise of an imminent beer was all the motivation we needed.

Enjoy this Kinder Scout Hike!

I hope you enjoy this Kinder Scout Walk as much as we did. If you’re visiting the area soon, you might find some of our Peak District articles helpful.

If you have any questions, please ask. Otherwise, I wish you happy and safe travels.

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