AS THE public makes the best of lockdown in the Lake District and police urge people to stay indoors, it is important to remember certain beauty spots can still be enjoyed - from the comfort of the sofa.

From webcams to 360-degree tours, many locations offer glimpses of a national park which, though currently bathed in glorious sunshine, will probably remain agonisingly out of reach for the foreseeable future.

The Three Shires Inn near Elterwater has a live webcam on its website which slowly pans across to reveal views of Wetherlam and the Little Langdale Valley.

Tony Guthrie, co-owner of the inn, said: “A lot of people use it. If it goes down people email us.

“A lot of people use the webcam just to look at the views in Little Langdale, what the weather’s like and just to escape from where they are.”

Elsewhere, Barrow-based filmmaker and photographer Colin Aldred has created a 360-degree virtual tour of Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Foulshaw Moss nature reserve near Lindale.

This went live in early March and allows users to home-in on different sections of the reserve, learning more about the various creatures to be found at spots such as the dragonfly pool and the bird feeding station.

It is even equipped with sound and allows people to listen to the chirp of ospreys as they sit with their morning coffees.

Paul Waterhouse, senior reserves officer at Foulshaw Moss, said: “We wanted to try out using state-of-the-art technology as a way of exploring our nature reserves, either to use as a guide on your phone as you walk around the reserve or to immerse yourself in these wonderful peatlands from the comfort of your home, using a laptop or PC.

“For the time being we can only explore it online but this is a wonderful way of keeping close and connected to nature as we stay indoors.”

Stott Park Bobbin Mill, a working mill situated on the shores of Windermere, also allows users a 360-degree look around its grounds. This can be experienced by visiting the Google Arts and Culture platform.