UKC

I recently got a copy of John Fleetwood's Scrambles in the Lake District South (the updated Cicerone guide). I was following directions for "Eagle Crag Original Route" (scramble 1 in the book), which the guidebook gives a grade of diff. I was finding it quite scary soloing it and decided to go left,  veering off-route to finish it.

I checked the Rockfax once I got home, and found the same line as 'Kestrel Wall', which gives the first pitch a grade of S 4a. This made me feel a bit better. But wanted to check with the UKC hive mind / those who know the crag: is the Diff 'Original Route' a few (three?) metres to the left of 'Kestrel Wall' (and so the line shown in the Cicerone guidebook not quite right)? Or have I missed something? The latter seems more likely!

'Original Route' is not in my Rockfax and I couldn't immediately find another topo online.

I'm no expert, but was climbing there last week. The start of Kestrel Wall was quite stiff for an severe, but quite straightforward after the large flake, so surprised  going left would help if you reached it? A couple of meters left of Kestrel Wall is Hawkeye (VS), that climbs to the left side of the flake, I think the original route is further left again, but haven't climbed it.

Looking at a few topos and guides, it seems that John Fleetwood describes two "starts" to the scramble (effectively, two different routes): one is up "the easiest rock climb" and is marked "Difficult Start"; the other skirts this, traversing in from the left-hand side of the crag and is marked "Easier Scrambling Start". A gully is also labelled roughly between these two routes.

Looking at the FRCC guide,  Fleetwood's "Difficult start" is actually a line starting just right of Kestrel Wall. It then joins the line of Kestrel Wall, more or less following this to the Pasture (they slightly diverge near the top).

Confusing matters futher, the "Original Route" (Diff) as described in the FRCC guide, is neither of these described routes and actually follows the line marked as "gully" on Fleetwood's topo diagram.

In sum: I think Fleetwood's book topo is "incorrect" (i.e. it isn't the same as the Original Route described in the FRCC guides) and you ended up aiming for a line that does share a lot of ground with Kestrel Wall. I couldn't say exactly what you climbed, though!