Buttermere
One of the most beautiful lakes in Cumbria.
Last Saturday I did a walk from Buttermere over Haystacks. Four and a half miles in length and just under 2000 feet in height
This image was taken on Buttermere fell on the way up to Scarth gap
Buttermere derives its name from a corruption of 'Boethar', a Norse chieftain who bestowed his name on the lake.
It is 1 1/2 miles long, 3/4 of a mile wide and 90ft feet deep and was divided from adjacent Crummock Water when a larger lake silted up at its centre.
The area saw large settlement of Vikings in the 9th and 10th centuries and many names of Norse origin linger in the area, streams are termed becks, from the Old Norse 'bekr', mountains are 'fells' from the Norse fjall, waterfalls forces (fos), ravines 'gills' and small lakes are termed tarns which derives from 'tjorn', meaning teardrop.
Buttermere is surrounded by the dramatic high fells of Red Pike, High Stile, Scarf Gap and High Crag with cascading waterfalls tumbling from the fells. To the south of the lake stand Warnscale (which derives from the old Norse 'Skali'- summer pastures) Haystacks, and Fleetwith Pike.
There is a very easy,almost flat four mile walk around the shores of Buttermere for those who feel disinclined to to venture higher onto the fells. Along the shoes one passes through a short tunnel cut into the rocks apparently by a landoner in the Victorians times so that he may have an unipeded walk along the periphery of Buttermere. How the other half lives.