Well, I’ve said it a few times, the sunrise and / or sunsets around Ardersier can be absolutely stunning, I’ve felt overawed by some of the skies I’ve witnessed up there and this morning turned out to be a beauty.
I set off for the fort as usual and parked up by the sports field around 07:30. Getting out of the car, the sky was still almost pitch dark with a thin strip of emerging sunlight back over the village but, the Moon was still up over the fort and I remember rushing down to the shore to make sure I got some decent shots, hoping the tide was going out so I might get reflections as well.
The clouds were working really well giving shape and of course cover from direct Moonlight and I loved the street lights as a bonus.
However, behind me, over the village, the sun was attempting to rise and heavy cloud was getting in the way.
In my head I was singing “Clouds to the left of me, luna to the right, here I am” …..
So here I was totally torn by what was going on in the sky, trying to make headway towards the fort for my morning walk, in almost total darkness and freezing breeze.
I started working my way down to the shore, tripping and stumbling over the gravel and driftwood, scared I’d miss something while I navigated 🙂
I’ve been in this situation before up here, sun rising and Moon setting, a wee bit warmer would have been nice but it is January!!! 🙂
That second shot looking down towards Inverness with the lighthouse and Chanonry Point in the middle.
Down on the shore, I was past the old outlet pipes and trying to use them in the shots.
As you can see, I was twisting to and fro keeping an eye on everything!
I tried to get the lighthouse light on Chanonry Point into the shots and the waxing gibbous Moon as it passed through the clouds.
Turn around!
The tide was well out but had left wet sand behind, would’ve been great to still have some water there but, can’t be choosy!
The weather was really affecting the sunrise.
The light slowly spreading towards Inverness, I was trying to get a panorama of all of it but failed.
There was a thin strip of sunlight peeking out below heavy cloud but the colours coming through were beautiful.
I did finally make it up to the fort but the street lights distracted me a bit 😉
I liked the fact that the lights themselves were in the dark clouds and the buildings in silhouette beyond them.
I was on my own up there, no cars, nothing so I was wandering around on the road trying to get the best angles.
And a wee bit of black and white. Ooooh! Bollards 🙂
Not much birding going on eh? I couldn’t see anything anyway!
That thin strip of sunrise was still showing well.
I was still up at the front of the fort, wandering to and fro, standing close to the edge to get the most of the shore in that one.
Looking down towards Inverness.
And then I turned North ish…..
What do they say about red in the morning?
The clouds all around me were now glowing pink / red / orange.
That will do it!
Again, looking Northward over the Black Isle.
A wider view.
So I was finally walking down the ramp onto the shore beyond the fort, I turned round.
Beautiful clouds above the fort itself.
Then the sun finally made it!
Looking back towards Ardersier from the fort.
And that was it. I gave up on sunrise and Moonset and set off for the point, see what bird life I might see, it was getting lighter at last but, what a show!
Apologies for the vast amount of shots there, I just couldn’t not! 🙂
Scozmo's Photery 