Orrest Head sits above the town of Windermere, about a mile north of Bowness, and is reached by a clear path that starts near the Windermere Hotel. The ascent takes around 45 minutes at a steady walk and gains about 200 metres of height. It is not demanding — it is regularly walked by families with young children — but it rewards you with one of the broadest views in the southern Lake District: Windermere stretching south towards Lakeside, the Coniston Fells to the west, and the Langdale Pikes further north.
Go early if you want the summit to yourself. By mid-morning in summer it becomes busy, and the viewpoint is small enough that a crowd makes it feel cramped. The path back can be varied by looping through Elleray Wood, which adds little time but passes through old mixed woodland that is good for birds in spring. The head is on National Trust land and free to access.