Hi Irv.
Once you're out of Windermere, you can virtually pint your camera anywhere and get a great shot
If you want "rugged", head west out of Ambleside towards Elterwater. The road round and through Chapel Stile has some awesome views and joins back up with the road over the Wrynose and Hardnott passes and on towards Eskdale. If the steam train is still running, a trip on it is worth the ££ in my opinion.
A walk up Rydal Fell outside of Grasmere is a lovely way to spend an afternoon - with views over the village and Rydal Water. Grasmere also has THE best gingerbread on this little green and blue planet.
A bit further afield (to the north) is Keswick. This is my favourite place in the Lakes and has the benefit of boat trips round Derwent Water. On the north west tip of Derwent Water is Hawes End - the start of the ascent up Cat Bells (a great little hill) which leads on to Maiden Moor and High Spy. You can descend (steeply) at High Scawdel towards Rosthwaite at the back of Castle Crag. Actually, Castle Crag is a nice walk with some lovely vistas back down Derwewnt Valley towards Keswick.
If the weather's crap, the Allerdale Ramble (a lower level wander along Derwent Water below the walk mentioned above is pleasant if not inspirational.
If you're up for a slog, there's always Skiddaw. There's a lot of it but it's not tricky and the view is stunning from the top late afternoon with the sun dropping.
Alternatively, there's a superb walk from Seathwaite Farm, up Sour Milk Ghyll, past Base Brown and Brandreth, up Green Gable, down Windy Gap and on to the summit of Great Gable (which overlooks Wastwater). Return down Aaron Slack to Styhead Tarn, hang a left and follow Styhead Gill until you get back to Seathwaite.
Whatever you do, take the right gear. Always expect rain and don't go off well trodden tracks unless you know how to map read in low cloud and/or howling wind and rain.
Hope that helps.
Paul.
