Peel Island, Lake Coniston

A stretch of wooded rocky headlands with secluded sandy coves. Peel Island sits across a 100m strait.

Place Categories: Lake Swims and Wild Swim.Place Tags: dive, swim and wildswimming.

June 15, 2015 at 5:52 pm

We drove here after fleeing from the Great North Swim which we’d booked up for. It was the 10,000 swimmers and miked up MC running a group warm-up to loud booming dance music that caused us to run away even before we’d got into our wesuits.

We parked at Low Peel beach (as the guide suggests) from which you can’t see the island and swam out 50 metres then about 800 metres north to the island which we swam around and back to Low Peel, all in all about a 2km swim. It was gorgeous – however the guide fails to mention that there are quite a few big rocks inches below the surface which you can’t see until you bump into them while you swim which is a little disconcerting – so look out.

There was quite abit of motor boat activity 50 metres out into the lake so a flourescent swim cap or a towed swim buoy is a must to avoid being minced in the propellors of a leisure craft.

Beautiful clear, clean water and stunning scenery all around.

Fiona Cooper says:

July 28, 2014 at 7:49 pm

Wild Cat Island (aka Peel Island) is the island in Swallows and Amazons, it’s a great exploring place for kids and can be reached from the eastern side via a short swim (our 6 yr old made it easily). On a sunny day there’ll be lots of groups there and some of the eastern beaches on the lake might be a bit calmer. Coniston is a great place for messing about on boats too.

Fiona Cooper says:

July 28, 2014 at 7:49 pm

Chris N says:

June 27, 2012 at 5:17 pm

This is rerally about the wooded area on the East side of Coniston Lake.
The water can be cool but it is fine, several places to enter the water comfortably but not suitable for diving in most places. It is very pleasant on a hot day.

The bottom drops away quickly in most of the area so not a place for weak swimmers. The southern bit is very popular with families but a few minutes walk leads to a quieter bit on the headland. People have been known to skinny dip there or at other places along the road to the north.

The parking on the road is limited and care needs to be taken not to double park.