It is a multi-site SAC with an area of 27003.07 ha consisting of 10 separate sites including the summit of Scafell Pike, which at 977 m (3,206 ft) is the highest mountain in England.

As is usual with SACs in England, the protected areas are also covered by Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designations.

In the Lake District the climatic tree line has been estimated to lie at about 535 m., but this would probably refer to isolated pioneers: the remnant woodlands are somewhat lower.

The SAC is within the Lake District National Park which has a duty to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area.

[4] Since the SAC was designated, the significance of the National Park as a cultural landscape has been endorsed by UNESCO, which gave World Heritage Site status to the Lake District in 2017.