ABOVE: Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire 15225 (YN65 XFF), a Scania N230UD ADL Enviro400, is at Keswick Bus Station, and is about to start another journey on route 78 to Seatoller. All photos in this article were taken on Sunday 21 September 2025.
100 British Bus Routes: Route 78
Keswick to Seatoller
14 March 2026
Runs: Daily*
Operator: Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire
Weekday daytime frequency: Hourly (winter), half-hourly (summer)
Weekday Vehicle Requirement: One bus (winter) / two buses (summer)
Off-peak journey time (weekdays): 28 minutes
Estimated route length: Eight miles
* Limited early evening service in summer only
ABOVE: Diagram of route 78 and associated routes 77 & 77A
Back so soon?
I'm in Keswick, on a Sunday morning in September. I was last here at the beginning of May, when I left feeling that I had only done half the job in these parts. Now, I'm here to put that right. And it would be bad manners not to ride route 78 to Seatoller while I'm here. I skipped it last time for timing reasons - no such excuse today!
As I have previously noted, Keswick seems to be the heart of the Lake District, at least as far as the bus network is concerned. The Bus Station is little more than a group of stops alongside the Car Park of the "Booth's" supermarket. It's here that I board the 78, operated by Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire (SCNL).
ABOVE: SCNL 15847 (VX62 CVW), a Scania N230UD ADL Enviro400, pauses at Keswick Bus Station whilst working route X5, an east-west route through the region linking Penrith with Workington.
You may be wondering what else I am going to be able to say after my extensive article covering route 77A (and reverse route 77), the Buttermere Circular, which covers much of the same territory? (You may not be the only one wondering...)
Well it is true that the 77/A pass through Seatoller, but the 78 is not just a short working of the 77/A. The 77/A head down the western side of Derwentwater, the third-largest lake in the Lake District, whilst today, we are going down the eastern side.
At least, I hope we are! A lady that I get chatting to on the bus tells me that today is the Keswick Half-Marathon, and that some of the roads that the bus uses will be full of runners for much of the day. Fortunately, I have got here early, and the road closures (if there are to be any) have not yet begun.
Unlike the 77/A, which has Optare Solos for reasons that become apparent if you make the journey, the 78 has double-deckers - in my case, a Scania N230UD ADL Enviro400. And that top deck makes a difference!
One does not even have to exit the town to start to get the stunning views. The end of the building to the right in the picture below is "The Fellpack Bar & Grill", and it leads to other retail outlets that take you back into the Town Centre. (This view was taken on the return journey, as I headed back into Keswick.)
Once clear of the town, we join the Borrowdale Road. At times this is half a mile or so from the edge of Derwentwater, offering just a hint of the water in the distance...
At other times, it runs right alongside:
Look out of the back window (or get in the front for the return journey) and the views are even more delightful:
As you can see, there's barely a cloud in the sky. The sun is out, but it's not too warm. Hopefully those Half-Marathon runners will be comfortable today. Well, as comfortable as anyone can be if they've decided to run 13.1 miles!
Right at the south-eastern edge of Derwentwater is Lodore Falls. This is a 100-foot cascading waterfall which is, reportedly, best seen after a heavy rainfall, "where you'll get the greatest volume of water". Any visitors today should be in for a treat, then, as yesterday saw heavy rainfall from first thing until last thing!
You might choose to stay at the "Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa":
As we leave Derwentwater behind, one last look over your shoulder may reap dividends:
Another couple of minutes down the road brings us to the Borrowdale Hotel. When a half-hourly service is in operation (summer service seems to be roughly March to September, and the half-hourly service then runs seven days a week), this seems to be where the two buses on the route will meet. It's certainly the case in both directions of my journey today.
ABOVE: Another view of 15225 at the Borrowdale Hotel.
ABOVE: SCNL 15222 (PH15 DUN), another Scania N230UD ADL Enviro400, at the Borrowdale Hotel.
Rather than a single settlement, Borrowdale is spread over a wide area that forms the Borrowdale Valley. Virtually the whole of route 78, apart from Keswick itself, is within the valley.
The valley itself rises in the central Lake District, and runs north carrying the River Derwent into the lake of Derwentwater. The beauty of Borrowdale, as explained by the Borrowdale Story website, is a result of a combination of nature, weather, time and human activity. The valley's geology is formed from ancient volcanic debris that formed around 450 million years ago, and the valley was shaped by glaciers that carved out its distinctive form.
The valley is a popular tourist location today with hotels, guesthouses, holiday cottages, bed and breakfasts, youth hostels and campsites, catering both for hillwalkers and those who prefer a more relaxing and peaceful break. A variety of outdoor activities are available, including hiking, rock climbing and fishing.
The 2021 Census recorded that 417 people were living here or hereabouts. A short run down the road from the Borrowdale Hotel finds a couple of houses that might accommodate a few of those 417 residents:
It's somewhere around here that the 77/A routes come and join us from the other side of Derwentwater; I just haven't been able to fathom out exactly where, despite the fact that I have done both routes!
It has certainly happened by the time we reach the bridge that crosses into Grange. That bridge was featured in my Buttermere Circular article, but I was only able to offer a link to a Google Streetview picture of the stone bus shelter on the opposite side of the road on that occasion. This time, I can offer my own picture:
We're sticking close to the River Derwent for the next few miles. We squeeze through the tight streets of Rosthwaite. I have been here before but I haven't seen it from the top deck:
From Rosthwaite it is just a short drive on to Seatoller. The road, which has basically been north/south all the way from Keswick, now steers to the west.
There's a handy National Trust Car Park here that the bus can reverse into in order to turn around. About four of us have come to the end of the line this morning. The lady who has kept me company is now off for some serious hiking, as, I presume, are the other two passengers.
Another stone bus shelter is available, although there are wasps living there when I visit, so I keep clear. There are even toilet facilities here - and they're open on a Sunday morning!
ABOVE: Another view of 15255, which has reversed into the car park entrance at Seatoller.
Once the bus has departed, it's a remarkably peaceful spot. There are more animals around than humans right now, it seems.
About two cars pass along the 'main' road while I'm here, and the 77A service passes through as well:
ABOVE: SCNL 48002 (YJ15 ANF), an Optare Solo SR, passes through Seatoller on the clockwise circular route 77A from Keswick.
I have about half an hour to pass, so I wander a few yards into the village. The view below is achieved literally by my turning around on the spot from the picture above, and it demonstrates effectively that we have reached the end of double-decker territory:
Seatoller sits at the east foot of the Honister Pass, and to the south of Derwent Water. As I have noted previously, Honister Pass holds the UK 24-hour rainfall record; 13.44 inches of rain fell during Storm Desmond in 2015, and this area is known as the wettest inhabited place in England. That's what makes it so green and beautiful of course, but it may make the Half-Marathon a soggy affair sometimes!.
Beyond the row of houses, a tributary of the River Derwent flows through here, crashing across the rocks as it goes - probably all yesterday's rainwater...
There are a handful of residences here in Seatoller, but the place is tiny. The benefit of the bus is to bring walkers, climbers and adventurers - not really locals, because there more-or-less aren't any!
But it's that tourism angle that makes the 78, and indeed, any bus route in this region, a success, where other routes would not survive in similar territory. This is a beautiful part of the country and people will flock from all over the world to see it, to walk it, to experience it.
And, even if you don't want to wander all over the place, this bus is worth the ride just to spend 28 minutes on the top deck admiring the scenery (and another 28 minutes back again). And with a decent service frequency, and the 77/A to fall back on, you don't need to wait for long before the next bus turns up. Just choose a clear, sunny day - I did - and make sure you get a photo when the bus turns up at Seatoller. Again, I did...
ABOVE: 15222 again, arriving at Seatoller.
So it turns out that there was a little to talk about on route 78 after all. But it's the scenery that really does the talking here. If you have the chance, come and see for yourself. You might even get an open-topper, as SCNL does run some on this route. But open-top or not, get onto the upper deck if you can. You won't be disappointed.