Getting out and about in rural areas

[Pixies]

Thinking about later in the year when we MIGHT be able to get out and about to dark skies. I'm in Edinburgh, so the lockdown is a little stricter, now; but when the nights are darker, in Autumn, hopefully we'll be able to travel for skywatching.

Anyway, I'm in a Bortle-6 area with some local light pollution. However, I can get to Bortle-3 in 40 minutes. I'ts the Lammermuir hills which I've become slightly more familiar with during the last few years with a cycle club. However, I've never driven out there overnight. I know what the Borders night skies can be like, regularly stopping when passing Kielder to have a look, but this was before I had a scope.

So, once things have returned to normality, I'd quite fancy heading over to the Lammermuirs in the car with the scope. However, I'm a complete noob and I'm wondering how this usually works for you when trying to observe in public areas? The roads I'm thinking of are very rural, with hardly any car parking and side roads lead mainly to farms. 

Is anyone familar with the area or somewhere similar? Is it do-oable with a biggish scope (8" dob) and what is your advice for public observing? Or should I be looking for a less-farming area with perhaps more suitable locations like nature reserve car-parks?

Cheers
Pix

[scarp15]

Hi, I approach this region from the southern end, living in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I do not venture as far as the Lammermuir hills, remaining mostly in north Northumberland close to the border, I am also very attuned to Kielder and the skies here. 

Similar to yourself, approach this from an activity perspective, my primary interests are cycling, hill walking and I have a familiar knowledge for parking areas, pull-in's on quiet back roads. You may well gain a hunch to somewhere visited in the daytime that feels comfortable and welcoming with maybe no problems if you venture there at night. Going independently to dark sky places is an adventure in part for the unknown and for the potential encountering magnificent skies. It can be trial and error yet I would expect that your intended location, the Lammermuir hills will provide some good places and others may be able to offer more specific places. Its an excuse to study OS mapping at any rate.  

An 8" scope is a great tool to take out to darker skies, it will be easy to manage and will deliver impressive observations that are improbable from light polluted zones. Going to dark sky locations can be an infrequent pursuit yet it can become habitually addictive. One final thought, if the nature reserve parks (with large carparks) are anywhere near urban areas they might be best avoided as anyone else showing up late on is maybe unlikely (but not improbable) to be either an astronomer or photographer. 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

Maybe give Edinburgh's Astro Society a visit. They will probably give you some tips.

https://www.astronomyedinburgh.org/

The Go Stargazing website mentions a couple of places about an hours drive from Edinburgh.

https://gostargazing.co.uk/regions/south-east-scotland

You're probably best taking a friend. It's a massive anxiety reducer. 😀

Edited May 13, 2020 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[Pixies]

3 hours ago, scarp15 said:

An 8" scope is a great tool to take out to darker skies, it will be easy to manage and will deliver impressive observations that are improbable from light polluted zones. Going to dark sky locations can be an infrequent pursuit yet it can become habitually addictive. One final thought, if the nature reserve parks (with large carparks) are anywhere near urban areas they might be best avoided as anyone else showing up late on is maybe unlikely (but not improbable) to be either an astronomer or photographer. 

Hmm - had crossed my mind. Sitting there with a red lamp, too! 😳

[scarp15]

16 hours ago, Pixies said:

Hmm - had crossed my mind. Sitting there with a red lamp, too! 😳

Don't worry a good secluded place you will likely have to yourself, somewhere else that might have someone unwelcome turn up, quite possible you might frighten them off, just for being there.

[Ships and Stars]

22 hours ago, Pixies said:

Thinking about later in the year when we MIGHT be able to get out and about to dark skies. I'm in Edinburgh, so the lockdown is a little stricter, now; but when the nights are darker, in Autumn, hopefully we'll be able to travel for skywatching.

Anyway, I'm in a Bortle-6 area with some local light pollution. However, I can get to Bortle-3 in 40 minutes. I'ts the Lammermuir hills which I've become slightly more familiar with during the last few years with a cycle club. However, I've never driven out there overnight. I know what the Borders night skies can be like, regularly stopping when passing Kielder to have a look, but this was before I had a scope.

So, once things have returned to normality, I'd quite fancy heading over to the Lammermuirs in the car with the scope. However, I'm a complete noob and I'm wondering how this usually works for you when trying to observe in public areas? The roads I'm thinking of are very rural, with hardly any car parking and side roads lead mainly to farms. 

Is anyone familar with the area or somewhere similar? Is it do-oable with a biggish scope (8" dob) and what is your advice for public observing? Or should I be looking for a less-farming area with perhaps more suitable locations like nature reserve car-parks?

Cheers
Pix

Before lockdown, I did almost all my observing from rural spots, frequently staying in my small van overnight. My trick up here in NE Scotland is to go to the Walkhighlands website for hill walkers using a PC or laptop, scroll down to the interactive map, hover over it with the mouse and find the area you want to view from, and see what walks are shown on their maps. They will include the start location which is normally a rural carpark or large passing place well away from busy roads.  The hillwalkers carparks/parking places are normally great as locals are used to seeing non-local cars parked up there and don't blink, plus they are generally fairly isolated and quiet.

Another trick is to go to Pastmap (interesting in itself if you like archaeology), click on Scheduled Monuments (i.e. Bronze Age cairns, Neolithic standing stones, Iron Age hillforts, etc) in the left toolbar, the zoom in on the map to the area you want to view from. Some of the more famous, more spectacular Scheduled Monuments are very popular with day trippers and will also have their own little carpark in rural isolated areas which is open to all and almost always free.  

[popeye85]

On 13/05/2020 at 19:23, Pixies said:

Thinking about later in the year when we MIGHT be able to get out and about to dark skies. I'm in Edinburgh, so the lockdown is a little stricter, now; but when the nights are darker, in Autumn, hopefully we'll be able to travel for skywatching.

Anyway, I'm in a Bortle-6 area with some local light pollution. However, I can get to Bortle-3 in 40 minutes. I'ts the Lammermuir hills which I've become slightly more familiar with during the last few years with a cycle club. However, I've never driven out there overnight. I know what the Borders night skies can be like, regularly stopping when passing Kielder to have a look, but this was before I had a scope.

So, once things have returned to normality, I'd quite fancy heading over to the Lammermuirs in the car with the scope. However, I'm a complete noob and I'm wondering how this usually works for you when trying to observe in public areas? The roads I'm thinking of are very rural, with hardly any car parking and side roads lead mainly to farms. 

Is anyone familar with the area or somewhere similar? Is it do-oable with a biggish scope (8" dob) and what is your advice for public observing? Or should I be looking for a less-farming area with perhaps more suitable locations like nature reserve car-parks?

Cheers
Pix

Late to the party with this one!!

I'm in East Lothian and know a couple good observing sites if you are still looking for places to go 👍👍

[Pixies]

On 10/09/2020 at 22:08, popeye85 said:

Late to the party with this one!!

I'm in East Lothian and know a couple good observing sites if you are still looking for places to go 👍👍

Cool. I'll PM you.