It is a rural parish on the north side of upper Wensleydale, and includes the settlements of Hardraw, Sedbusk and several hamlets.

[3] The majority of the parish boundary runs along the A684 road from just west of Bainbridge to where the River Ure turns northwards.

The northern boundary runs south-east across the top of both Great Shunner Fell and Abbotside Common.

In addition to the main settlements, there are several hamlets such as the Lunds, Blades, Litherskew, Fossdale, Simonstone, Cotterdale and West End.

[2] High Abbotside was historically a township in the large ancient parish of Aysgarth in the North Riding of Yorkshire.

The name derives from the land on the north side of Wensleydale held by the abbot of Jervaulx Abbey in the Middle Ages.

[11][12] There is a small disused church situated in the hamlet of Lunds which is a Grade II listed building.