For the past couple of years I've been using my 7x42 birding bins to look at the sky, taking them with me fishing and dog walking. I've just bought some 15x70 to use at home on a tripod, and will probably think of a scope in the future. I am blessed with living on a farm in west Wales, given the right conditions I can just see the Milky Way. I think I am at a good altitude (170m) because the valley below me is often in mist, and the hills above me get more cloud. However, the remote beach I fish on faces SW, has cliffs behind, and excellent views of the Milky Way. I'm guessing any coastal sites would be out for serious astronomy in anything but the calmest weather, because of the super fine mist waves seem to generate? My other fishing location is up in the Cambrian Mountains, altitude 450m, and the skies up there are so impressive, even in summer, I'm minded to take a look this winter. If it's freezing I know the mountain tracks will be too dangerous, even in my 4x4, but I can go down to the dark sky site at Strata Florida abbey in that case. I just love the panorama you get on a hill top, it makes the experience for me, and I enjoy it most alone.
When, or if, I get a scope I can't see me taking it out that often, given the faff and the fact I enjoy pretty good skies at home, but is there much advantage in a bit of altitude ?(the Cambrians are not the Andes mind😁) I can see that the hills get more cloud, but if clear is it worth the 30 mile drive, or is that something I will have to find out for myself ? When it comes to my binocular viewing I'm fairly casual with my ,ahem, observations, but I do like to be in a nice spot. Nothing finer than sitting on a hill summit, in the dark, with nothing but the wind, though I'm guessing that's detrimental to good views too? Not just moving the scope, but distorting the atmosphere? Sorry about my rambling post.
I