I had wanted to do an early morning walk to avoid the heat but I'd had a busy time the day before so it was a struggle to get out of bed at a time to catch the early light and cooler temperatures I wanted, particularly where I'd planned to go.
Indeed, as I set off behind schedule through the pea soup fog at 30mph it dawned on me that, with the forecast inversion, maybe something local would be a better plan. But would anything local nudge above the forecast cloud top of 450m?
As I got closer to our local hill, Fourman Hill (344m), I could see hints that this might be the case but I've been in that situation before where the cloud toys with dipping below the top but never does so I was prepared to write off the walk and revert to plan A if necessary.
No need for plan A though! I broke into the cloud/fog top level just before reaching the parking spot. Wasn't entirely convinced at this point that I would get a clear top but I got a good view over to Knock Hill's top sitting proud of the fog sea.
DSC08367 by John Little, on FlickrThe sea I saw.
The way ahead was still pre-dawn murky and misty though and it wasn't yet possible to see if there would be a clear top. Didn't take long though for all the doubt to fall away as after another 100m of ascent I was standing on a seeming island with a familiar landscape now rendered other worldly with the glens flooded in cloud.
DSC08373 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08386 by John Little, on FlickrOn an island.
DSC08387 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08397c by John Little, on FlickrI really couldn't move very much, or get my eyes away from the drama below with many differing patterns of cloud being illuminated by the pre-dawn diffracted light.
Is there any point in trying to describe such a scene? Just about every minute there was a subtle change in the view with the onslaught of the sunrise drawing closer and closer. And as an acoustic backdrop there was the usual dawn chorus dominated by what seemed a battle between two cuckoos or perhaps it was single cuckoo going cuckoo.
DSC08423 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08430 by John Little, on FlickrThe sun starts to rise.
DSC08431 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08440 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08441c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08452 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08460c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08479 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08497 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08498 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08502 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08504 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08506 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08507 by John Little, on FlickrAn image that lasts for what thirty seconds.
DSC08511 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08513 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08513c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08514c2 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08515 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08519 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08522c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08523c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08524c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08525c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08526 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08530c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08531 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08532 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08533 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08534 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08537c2 by John Little, on FlickrLike a wind that blows though you, a view that passes through you.
DSC08543 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08547 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08552 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08554 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08558 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08565 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08566 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08569 by John Little, on FlickrI manage to tear my eyeballs away from the sunrise.
DSC08581 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08587 by John Little, on FlickrFrom near the top a view to Tap o' Noth and The Buck.
DSC08588 by John Little, on FlickrTap o' Noth again.
DSC08591 by John Little, on FlickrBen Rinnes.
DSC08597 by John Little, on FlickrOn the way down the view is still mesmerising.
DSC08600 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08616 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08624 by John Little, on FlickrHappy with the morning to say the least. Fair to say I made the right decision.
DSC08635 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08636 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08642 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08644 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08654 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08662 by John Little, on FlickrStarting to look more familiar. When stripped of the inversion and sunrise this is still a very fine wee hill.
DSC08670 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08673 by John Little, on FlickrView east.
DSC08690 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC08691 by John Little, on FlickrMore typical Fourman scenery.
DSC08693 by John Little, on FlickrWas it all a dream? It feels that way now.
Great when you get such good conditions on a walk. Nice set of photos to illustrate it too - cheers 
