Kinder Scout

Kinder Scout is a mountain and plateau in the Peak District and, at 636 metres, its highest point as well as the highest mountain in Derbyshire and the whole of the East Midlands in England.

The plateau, which is over 600 metres high and covered by heath and high moorland, extends for about 2.5 kilometres in length and width and drops steeply on all sides, partly with rock faces. Small waterfalls form here, the most important being the "Kinder Downfall" with a height of about 30 metres. Since the water volume of the falling streams is not very large, the waterfalls can be completely blown away by strong winds. In winter, the Kinder Downfall is used for ice climbing.

The plateau can be reached on footpaths from Hayfield to the west or from Edale to the south-east. Along its western edge runs the Pennine Way, a long-distance footpath of around 430 kilometres from Edale to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland. Situated directly between Manchester and Sheffield, the mountain is a popular walking destination.

The upland moors and heathland are at risk from overgrazing by sheep and erosion due to the large number of walkers. In a radius of about 150 meters around the highest point the soil is already heavily eroded.

On April 24, 1932, the mountain was the site of a protest movement by hikers demanding free trail access that became known as the "Mass trespass of Kinder Scout." This involved over 400 hikers climbing onto the plateau, which was private land, resulting in arrests for trespassing on the way back. This led years later to the passage of legislation that established national parks and opened the landscape to the public. In 1951, the Peak District National Park became England's first national park.