Forget Skye, Rum Has It - Dark Sky Sanctuary Award

[saac]

The Isle of Rum has been awarded Dark Sky Sanctuary status - well done all those involved, it takes a bit of effort.  I've never been to Rum, almost went last year while hill climbing in Skye. This may be the reason to remedy that and book a  wee autumn getaway. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly3x3np09xo

Jim 

Edited August 23 by saac

[Pixies]

Have been to Rum several times (with work) but it was never clear when I was there, unfortunately.

 

[saac]

Yep the West coast does take the brunt of it. Skye has always been a bit like that whenever I visit, I think the island nature makes the weather so variable. 

Jim 

Edited August 23 by saac

[Nakedgun]

3 hours ago, saac said:

 almost went last year while hill climbing in Skye. This may be the reason to remedy that and book a  wee autumn getaway. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly3x3np09xo

Jim 

~

This you?

 

 

 

.

[Shimrod]

3 hours ago, saac said:

Yep the West coast does take the brunt of it. Sky has always been a bit like that whenever I visit, I think the island nature makes the weather so variable. 

Jim 

When you get a clear night in Skye, looking up is incredible (outside of the main population centres!). We always book a remote cottage in the hope of clear skies. We've also been fortunate enough to see the northern lights the last two times we have been - although the last visit in November 2021 was a week of horizontal rain and cloud, with just one clear night!

[saac]

33 minutes ago, Nakedgun said:

~

This you?

 

Gosh I got dizzy just watching that  

Jim 

[saac]

32 minutes ago, Shimrod said:

When you get a clear night in Skye, looking up is incredible (outside of the main population centres!). We always book a remote cottage in the hope of clear skies. We've also been fortunate enough to see the northern lights the last two times we have been - although the last visit in November 2021 was a week of horizontal rain and cloud, with just one clear night!

I think we should all experience a truly clear dark sky at some point in our lives. It's as remarkable a sight as any in nature. 

Jim 

[Budgie1]

17 hours ago, saac said:

Yep the West coast does take the brunt of it. Skye has always been a bit like that whenever I visit, I think the island nature makes the weather so variable. 

Jim 

Think what it's like to live here! I've managed 14 imaging sessions so far this year, and that's with the Obsy, and my weather station has recorded 1.32m (4 ½ feet) of rain so far in 2024. What makes it so wet on the West Coast are the mountains. The warm moist air coming in from the Atlantic hits the mountains and is forced to rise. As the air rises the moisture condenses into  water droplets, which become too heavy to remain airborne, so it rains.

Having said that, when it's clear then it's good. Where I live is Bortle 2/3, so naked eye Milky Way. 😁

I'm lucky that I'm a regular visitor to the Small Isles, with work, but you have to be resilient to live there as you can be cut off for days in the Winter months.

[bosun21]

I have travelled all over the Scottish Highlands and Islands both with work as well as Salmon and sea trout fishing. I still try to make my annual pilgrimage to a dark sky location and will continue to do so until my health intervenes. I have had some memorable times my last being in North Uist. To live permanently in such isolation takes a different type of person.

[saac]

33 minutes ago, Budgie1 said:

Think what it's like to live here! I've managed 14 imaging sessions so far this year, and that's with the Obsy, and my weather station has recorded 1.32m (4 ½ feet) of rain so far in 2024. What makes it so wet on the West Coast are the mountains. The warm moist air coming in from the Atlantic hits the mountains and is forced to rise. As the air rises the moisture condenses into  water droplets, which become too heavy to remain airborne, so it rains.

Having said that, when it's clear then it's good. Where I live is Bortle 2/3, so naked eye Milky Way. 😁

I'm lucky that I'm a regular visitor to the Small Isles, with work, but you have to be resilient to live there as you can be cut off for days in the Winter months.

I'm originally from the west coast (Glasgow) but during my time in the RAF I got to know Morayshire and Fife well being stationed at RAF Kinloss, Lossiemouth and Leuchars.  One of the things that struck me immediately was the difference in the weather patterns, especially the amount of sunny days, compared to what I had experienced growing up in the west. Morayshire in particular was just gorgeous and when I eventually retired from the RAF I seriously considered relocating there. In the end we opted for Fife as it gave easy access to the likes of Edinburgh and Glasgow for work. Dundee is only a few miles aways and it routinely wins the crown of the sunniest city in Scotland. If only that translated to clear nights. I think if I were to move again it would definitely be to Morayshire though - great weather, beaches, countryside (access to the mountains) and of course Speyside and its whisky  

Jim 

Edited August 24 by saac

[Jim Franklin]

For me, the dark places in the UK have been Wales (Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons), Dorset - inland from Swanage so the hills block the worst of the light pollution, Dartmoor, Exmoor,  the south coast of the Isle of Wight, the highlands of Scotland but my all time favourite place for truly dark skies - the Atlas Mountains in Morocco - 10,000 feet up, zero light pollution, reasonably clear air and the skies are just black velvent with diamonds encrusted in it...

[icpn]

Yes I suspect Rhum is dark because it is perpetually cloudy in the winter and it does not get dark in the summer. They should add % of clear skies to these descriptions.