Scotland
Affric Kintail Way
Coming soon
- On trail 19.3 mi 31.1 km
- Walking time 8–9 h
- Ascent 610 m 2,000 ft
- Descent 690 m 2,250 ft
- Difficulty Moderate
Moor and limestone scars, with Orton on the way into town.
Section 5: Shap to Kirkby Stephen map
Example stay The Kings Arms Hotel
Cross-check: Coast to Coast route description on National Trails . The walk is taken from that page, checked 12 October 2026. Miles on our line are measured between these ends on the imported path. Where a walking guide uses the same two ends, its miles are from walkcoasttocoast.co.uk, also checked 12 October 2026.
The walk
The path leaves the A6, crosses the East Coast Main Line and the M6 on bridges, and crosses Crosby Ravensworth Fell toward Orton Scar. It continues over Tarn Moor and Ravenstonedale Moor, drops to Smardale Bridge, and finishes past the remains of Croglam Castle into Kirkby Stephen. On our line this is 19.3 miles (31.1 km), with 610 m (about 2,000 ft) of climb. A walking guide's two stages between these same towns add up to 19.4 miles (31.3 km) and 691 m (about 2,270 ft). That guide calls the joined day the longest on its 14-day plan.
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Start of section
Shap
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Orton Scar
The moor brings the path to the scar and the minor road at Scar Side before Tarn Moor.
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Smardale Bridge
A wall leads down to the bridge, then the bridleway crosses Smardale Fell toward Kirkby Stephen.
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End of section
Kirkby Stephen
Section 5: Shap to Kirkby Stephen overview
The ground
- Lanes, quarry edges, open limestone moor, then a bridge and fields into town.
A long moorland day, without another lakeland pass. The climbing is lower than the lake sections. The distance is the long one: both our line and the guide put it near 19 miles.
Stops
Refreshments
- The night in Kirkby Stephen on the published plans is The Kings Arms Hotel. Brysons Bakery & Coffee Shop is in the town. Plans that stop in Orton use The George Hotel there. That is the Orton hotel
- not the George Hotel in Whitby
Toilets
- No source used for this section names a public toilet
Before you go
Opposite direction
Kirkby Stephen to Shap
Walked the other way, you leave Kirkby Stephen for Smardale, cross the moors to Orton Scar, and finish in Shap after the motorway bridge.
End of section
Shap
Shap to Kirkby Stephen FAQ
Is this the longest section?
No, though it is long. On our line it is 19.3 miles (31.1 km). The walking guide's stages between the same towns add up to 19.4 miles (31.3 km), which that guide calls the longest day of its 14-day plan. Two official sections are longer on our line: Richmond to Ingleby Cross at 28.9 miles (46.4 km), and Glaisdale to Robin Hood's Bay at 19.5 miles (31.4 km).
Walk this as a day
Used as Day 6 on the 15-day. Open the planner on that preset, then export a full-trip or per-day GPX.
Open in planner Read the 15-day itinerary
Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
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