Kilchurn Castle under the stars
24th Sept 2024
4.30am and my alarm goes off, time to get up for the first of my shifts for the next 5 days. It’s going to be a long week but it pays a little for me to live the dream - wander about creating images that I can hang on my wall.
Fast forward a few hours and I’m home, absolutely done in - early shifts are my nemesis lol, I’m definately a night owl sort of guy. Think it’s gonna be an early night for me ready for another shift tomorrow, back shift though so I get a wee lie in which will be so good.
Then my plans for an early night are thrown up in the air as I get a little update that the Aurora might be dancing tonight, and there is a lot of clear sky up to the north west of me. Do I take the chance of the 4 hour round trip drive, 4 hours sleep, and then another long shift tomorrow that She will show? Can I live on 4 hours sleep tomorrow lol? This is why I hate chasing the Northern Lights at times, She never wants to dance when I’m off the next day lol.
But we are in Solar Maximum and I’ve got to chance it - I’m taking it as every time I see Her dance is a bonus and I have to make the most of today, she might not show tomorrow. So I jump in the car and head off.
I always love the drive to Kilchurn Castle, some of the scenery along the way is just awesome and the West Coast is one of my favourite places to wander. It’s just so rugged and wild looking.
I arrive about 11pm and it’s nice and dark, I’ve been here a few times so I sort of know my way around in the dark. The sheep still make me jump a little when they appear out of nowhere and bolt about. There is something relaxing about the darkness, but also something a bit spooky lol.
Quick check of the stats and things are looking not too bad so I get to the beach opposite Kilchurn Castle and get set up, first photograph taken - and I see nothing. No colour whatsoever. Right try again, and nope not seeing anything. What’s going on, I should at least be seeing some diffuse Aurora. I mean there is a bit of moon but nothing that should be totally killing the colour. Reports are showing folk are seeing it in Scotland as well, what am I doing wrong lol.
So I try every variation, tip and trick I know and still nothing. Absolutely dejected and feeling totally miserable I kick off another sequence of captures on my camera while I contemplate just packing up and heading home, accepting defeat. At least I’ll get 6 or 7 hours sleep.
And then I happen to notice some movement in the sky and I can see Her dance, faint colour and all, with my naked eye. Seeing the colour only lasted a few minutes for me, but I got such a chill down my spine (and it wasn’t from the 0 degree temperature lol). From absolute despair to utter awesomeness in the space of seconds. This is why I love chasing the Aurora and appreciate just how special it is to see Her dance.
Game on now.
For the next few hours I spent keeping an eye on the sky as She came and went a few times. The mist also made an awesome appearance, and on I was lucky enough to capture a meteorite as well, the only thing that would have made me happier would have been some beams with the meteorite but we can’t always get everything we want lol.
