Embsay Reservoir and the Eastby Lanes

Three miles and about an hour and a half on the reservoir track and the walled lanes between Embsay and Eastby, all of it below the moor wall and all of it on firm going, which makes it a reliable winter option when the fells are sodden. Start at Elm Tree Square in Embsay, where there is roadside parking and a bus from Skipton, a mile and a half away. This route exists because of one hard fact that catches out visiting dog owners every summer - the Bolton Abbey estate does not allow dogs on Barden Moor at all, so Embsay Crag and the moor above the reservoir are closed to you and the wall is the boundary; below it there is easy gated walking with water at the reservoir outflow, sheep in the fields either side of the lane so the lead stays on, and only one stepped wall stile, which most dogs manage.