UKC

Can anyone recommend any scramble/easy climb link ups in the North lakes ideally around borrowdale? 

Sourmilk Ghyll (Seathwaite) and NE buttress on Gillercombe Crag? 35 years ago, mind!

10 min drive from Keswick is the layby at Thirlspot.

You could go up into Brown Cove and do the Stepped Ridge (II) up to the summit of Helvellyn & down Swirral Edge (.5) up Striding Edge (I) down via The Tongue or harder via Eagle Crag (II) then up Pinnacle Ridge (III) on St. Sunday and return back via Fairfield and Seat Sandal along the forest road back to the car.

Real north, go for the Blencathra corrugation....

Up Sharp Edge, down Gategarth, up Hallsfell,  down Doddick,  finish in the Sally for a pint to celebrate?

Sourmilk Ghyll (Seathwaite) and NE buttress on Gillercombe Crag

Good choice Mal

Not too hard to make a route around glaciated slab, dove nest, ravens crag and glaramara. You can expand eastwards to add in others too. 

That combination is excellent,  one of my favourite days scrambling in the lakes

Meant Gategill of course!

Also, as per other suggestion not too far apart are Intake Ridge and Doves Nest Crag for Attic Cave.

I've had a fun day out linking Cam Crag Ridge and Intake Ridge before. Also, for a longer day (and possibly the best rock in the Lake District), Cam Crag Ridge onto Ill crag SE Face - as per this old article:

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/features/interview_stephen_goodwins_...

Slingsby's Chimney Route (VD) and The Knife-Edge Arete (M), descend to the Mickledore col and then up Crenellated Ridge on Pikes Crag, or similar.

A more intense, roped scramble.

Or, Old West Route on Pillar, and scramble descent from High Man.

Gillercombe Crag is a good shout.

But, just to comment: those Lakeland ghyll scrambles like the one you suggest are, though highly traditional, not necessarily to everybody's tastes. So OP take note.

Above Sourmilk Ghyll, and before Gillercombe Crag, the Upper Seathwaite Slabs can also give good sport.

see https://www.cicerone.co.uk/scrambles-in-the-lake-district-north-2

I've had many years of fun with a combo of the cicerone scrambling guides and the various climbing guides for doing exactly what the OP is after, recommended!