It's an odd name so you'd be forgiven for not following its direction but then you'll miss out on some really fine views, a good walk, a fantastic playground (so good I don't think you need to bother to take children with you - why should they have all the fun?) and a great story.
The Shawl is a limestone outcrop above Leyburn from which you can enjoy panoramic views of Wensleydale and Penhill. You can follow the Shawl to Preston under Scar and eventually on to Castle Bolton. If the day is clear but the rain has fallen you may even hear the roar of of Aysgarth Falls.
So what is the "Shawl"? There are those who insist it's an old word that means a shady hill and woodland.
Ask a local and you're likely to be told it relates to around 1568 when Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned at Bolton Castle and lost her shawl. OK, so it's not the most exciting or complex story but it's the only one I can tell you about the Shawl.
Whatever the story, the Shawl is a great place to walk, possibly fortified with goodies from Campbells...