Portinscale sits just back from the north western shore of Derwent Water, and is effectively a residential suburb of Keswick. Most visitors only ever reach Nichol End, at the southern tip of the village. Here there is a marina, with a wide range of activities on the lake, and the first port of call for the anti-clockwise Keswick ferry. The Allerdale Ramble and Cumbria Way both pass past here, and Nichol End is an excellent starting or finishing point for an accent of Cat Bells, adding a pleasant stroll through the woods to the walk. The village clearly had a less respectable past, for the name comes from the Norse for 'harlot's hut'.