Ben Hope - Summer Solstice

[alanm]

I've been told that due to its latitude and with the added altitude that on a clear day/night the sun can be seen all night at the summit of Ben Hope on the 21st June. Does anyone know if this is fact or fiction? and secondly has anyone done it..got any pictures? (Was thinking about doing it this year but other commitments got in the way )

[mountain coward]

I wouldn't be surprised - I've lived in the Outer Hebrides which aren't as far north and sometimes we had midnight sun and it virtually never got dark in mid summer. Also, just got back from Ullapool and that's pretty similar, although we didn't see the midnight sun. People were driving and cycling around at 11pm with no lights on though - and no need for them...

[kinley]

I've been told that due to its latitude and with the added altitude that on a clear day/night the sun can be seen all night at the summit of Ben Hope on the 21st June. Does anyone know if this is fact or fiction?

Fiction.

The Arctic Circle is the line of latitude needed for a no-sunset summer solstice (or a no-sunrise winter solstice). The 900m altitude doesn't give you much more than 10mins extra at each end of the day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Circle

even the northern-most point of Shetland is a few 100 miles short. The Shetlanders describe "Simmer Dim" as the half-light all night through though.

Shortest day length up there is just under 4hrs, longest day just over 20hrs.


P.S. You can't see Iceland from Ben Hope either

[alanm]

Thanks Kinley.....might not be able to see the sun but sounds like it wouldnt be that dark....maybe next year!


Alan

[Wanderlust]

glad you've cleared that up, I thought it sounded a bit dubious, myself.

I once visited the Lofoten Islands, off the coast of Norway. it was the end of July and I missed the midnight sun by about 2 weeks

[mountain coward]

If the weather's clear it definitely doesn't get properly dark at all during the night. And we could see Iceland from the Outer Hebrides... by radar!;-)

And what I meant by 'seeing the summer sun' in the Hebrides was, around midnight, if you looked to the north, there was an orange glow on the horizon some nights (definitely wasn't street lights as there was nothing directly north of us). Shame I didn't take piccies!