
Ribblehead Viaduct walk & map
The Ribblehead Viaduct walk is a scenic circular route that kicks off at Ribblehead station and takes you through some of the most breathtaking sights in the Yorkshire Dales. You’ll pass by not one, but two of Yorkshire’s legendary Three Peaks – Whernside and Ingleborough – with the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct standing proud along the way.
The best part is, Northern can take you straight there! Hop onboard to Ribblehead station from Carlisle or Leeds and book in advance to save up to 60%.
Ribblehead Viaduct walk map

Download the Ribblehead Viaduct walking guide (PDF)
Note, this walk has been designed by Walks Around Britain writer and presenter, Andrew White.
Step 1
Exit Ribblehead train station and walk down the access road to the junction with the B6255 Low Sleights Road.
Cross over the road with the Station Inn directly in front of you and turn right. Walk down the road, passing through the gate next to the cattle grid, until a road path on the left – marked with a signpost for Whernside.
Walk down this path, stopping along the way to get a photo of the classic image of the Ribblehead Viaduct with Whernside in the background.
Step 2
When the road path starts to turn to the left, walk through the boulders placed on the side and follow the path signposted to Whernside – which climbs up to the level of the railway on the far side.
Continue to walk on the path alongside the railway until it drops down slightly and an underpass beneath it appears on the left. Take this and follow the path.
Step 3
Soon, the path heads through Winterscales Farm, with the dry-stone walls on either side. Once through the farm, the mighty Whernside is directly above you on the right.
Continue this path, ignoring other paths to the left. On the left, the right-hand peak is Ingleborough – the second of the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
Step 4
At the next farm, Ivescar, turn left after the metal barn on the left and walk between the buildings. A stile on the left provides an alternative route diagonally through the fields – but has several stiles on the way.
For a stile-free walk, continue down the road path with the peaks of Park Fell, Simon Fell and Ingleborough straight ahead.
Step 5
Soon, the road path turns to the right and another road branches off to the left. Take this road on the left and go through the gate – remembering to leave it as you found it.
Follow this road path as is goes through several dry-stone walls. If you took the diagonal path across the fields, you’d join up with the road path just as Winterscale Beck nears the road on the right.
You are now roughly halfway through the Ribblehead Viaduct walk!
Step 6
With a large farm on the right, a footpath branches off to the right at right angles.
Turn down this path, so the farm buildings are on your left.
At this stage of the Ribblehead Viaduct walk, you should begin to see the viaduct in the distance is now straight ahead and it starts to become more imposing as the path meanders towards it.
Step 7
Next is the great moment as you walk beneath the mighty Ribblehead Viaduct and through one of the 24 arches which make up this outstanding piece of engineering.
Here you can touch just some of the 1.5 million bricks used in its construction between October 1879 and 1874.
It took around 1,000 navvies – the nickname for construction workers on engineering projects – to build the viaduct.
Step 8
Once you’ve finished admiring Ribblehead Viaduct, walk the path straight ahead and turn right at the boulders you walked straight through at the start of the walk.
Continue walking along the path until you reach the main road – the B6255 Low Sleights Road – again.
Congratulations, you’ve completed the Ribblehead Viaduct walk!
Step 9
Turn right and head along the road, through the gate at the cattle grid and cross the road outside the Station Inn to walk back up the access road to Ribblehead train station.
Now, hop onboard a Northern train back home!
Popular trains to Ribblehead
Leeds to Ribblehead
Carlisle to Ribblehead
Settle to Ribblehead
Ribblehead Viaduct walk FAQs
The Ribblehead Viaduct walk is a circular route that spans 3.6 miles or 5.8 km. We recommend at least two hours to complete the full walk.
We would give the Ribblehead Viaduct walk a medium difficulty rating, as it features some uneven paths and challenging climbs that may not be suitable for younger children or elderly walkers.
Yes, but dogs should be mostly kept on the lead. Please reference the signs throughout the walk to keep you right. Remember, Northern trains are dog-friendly, so you can bring them along for a walk they'll love!
The nearest station is Ribblehead, located in the heart of the stunning Yorkshire Dales. There are regular trains from Leeds and Carlisle.
Please use the OS Landranger 98 or Explorer OL2 maps for the Ribblehead Viaduct walk.