Best Places for Sunrise and Sunset Photography in the Lake District - Updated for 2025 with map!
The Lake District wears light like nowhere else. At dawn, soft mists drift across valleys and still waters mirror pastel skies. By evening, the fells glow with the last fire of the day, their silhouettes falling into shadow.
Whether you’re planning a full day of shooting or just chasing that golden hour, here’s a guide to some of the best sunrise and sunset spots across the Lakes — grouped by region so you can plan your route.
I have also included a map at the very bottom of the page to help with route planning as well as a downloadable sunrise and sunset compass. The pins on the map will get you to an approximate location for each of the shots I have listed, but you will have to scout for the absolute best location for your shot depending on the local weather conditions and the time of the year.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of places to see the sunrise and sunset in The Lake District, there are hundreds, if not thousands of places you can seen these awesome feats of nature, these are just of my favourites, which are also some of the most easily accesible.
Sunrise Photography Locations
North – Keswick & Surrounds
Latrigg – Wide views over Derwentwater and Borrowdale, often with morning mist.
Castlerigg Stone Circle – Prehistoric stones silhouetted against pink skies over Blencathra.
Friars Crag & Crow Park – Gentle lake scenes glowing with early light.
Catbells Ridge – Sunrise washing the ridge with warm colour.
Bassenthwaite Viewpoint – The sun edging around Ullock Pike, lighting the water below.
West – Buttermere, Crummock & Wasdale
Buttermere (SE shore) – Reflections of Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks at first light.
The Pines at Buttermere – An iconic dawn composition.
Wast Water – Morning light catching the Screes in dramatic style.
Central – Langdale, Grasmere & Rydal
Blea Tarn – A still tarn reflecting the Langdale Pikes in the soft morning glow.
Loughrigg Fell – Overlooks Grasmere and Rydal with sweeping sunrise views.
Rydal Water – Misty, atmospheric mornings.
Elterwater & River Brathay – Meandering water leading the eye to the Pikes.
East – Ullswater & Helvellyn
Ullswater (Glencoyne Bay) – Calm waters and pastel skies at dawn.
Gowbarrow Fell – An accessible fell for broad sunrise panoramas.
Helvellyn – Striking drama over Red Tarn and Striding Edge at daybreak.
South – Windermere & Coniston
Orrest Head – A gentle climb with a classic view of Windermere at first light.
Helsington Viewpoint – Sweeping southern panoramas at sunrise.
Coniston Water (north end) – Morning sun spilling across the lake.
Sunset Photography Locations
North – Keswick & Surrounds
Surprise View & Ashness Jetty – Derwentwater glowing in evening light.
Catbells – Looking west into the warm dusk sky.
Bassenthwaite Viewpoint – Last light over Ullock Pike.
West – Buttermere & Wasdale
Buttermere (Gatesgarth side) – Evening alpenglow on Fleetwith Pike.
Wast Water – Great Gable and the Scafells framed in fiery dusk light.
Central – Langdale, Grasmere & Rydal
Blea Tarn – Sunset behind the Langdales, dramatic reflections and silhouettes.
Rydal Water – Warm reflections as the day fades.
East – Ullswater & Helvellyn
Pooley Bridge – Sunset stretching along Ullswater’s length.
Helvellyn – High-level colour falling over Red Tarn at dusk.
South – Windermere & Coniston
Gummer’s How – Big, open views down Windermere at sunset.
Tarn Hows – Still waters glowing with evening light.
Helsington Viewpoint – Wide skies as the sun dips towards Whitbarrow.
Planning Tips for Photographers
Keswick Sunrise Loop – Latrigg, Castlerigg, and Friars Crag make an easy trio for first light.
Orientation Matters – East-facing tarns (like Blea Tarn or Ullswater) reward early risers, while west-facing valleys (Buttermere, Wast Water) shine at sunset.
Quick Wins – If time is short, Surprise View or Ashness Jetty are drive-up classics for the evening.
Downloadable/Printable Sunrise and Sunset Compass.
This is only approximate guide to help you on location. To use it, orient the “compass” north/south and you will be able to see roughly where you can expect to see sunrise/sunset at your location. There will be some variation depending on the time of the month/year that you are using the compass and it is more accurate the closer you are to the central Lake District.
If you’re struggling to download the file, then you can right click and “download linked file” or whatever your chosen browser’s version of this is and this should enable you to download the file to a location of your choosing.
For accurate information about sunrise and sunset, you should consider using some of the apps in my essential apps for photographers blog.
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