Seeing the Lakes from Wales

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 Dan Arkle 01 Sep 2020

The Lake district was just visible from Holyhead mountain yesterday morning, about 97 miles away, which is exceptionally clear, and especially for August!

It was barely visible to the naked eye, but a 400mm lens and some work in photoshop increased the contrast - the image shows before and after for comparison.

I could also see the Wicklow mountains and the Isle of Man, which leads to a question - From what viewpoint could one see the most other countries?

From IoM I expect you can see Scotland, N Ireland, Ireland, England and Wales. Is there anywhere on earth that you could see more?


 r0b 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

Snowdonia was visible from the Lakes (Thornthwaite Crag, to be precise) on Sunday.

This is a great resource to show what you can potentially see: http://viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas.html

Over 100 miles from the Lakes to Snowdonia! http://viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/CUM/HIGHSTREET.GIF

 Michael Hood 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

I've more Lakes than Wales experience but seeing Snowdonia from the Lakes (especially summits on the southern "edge" of the Lakes) is pretty common.

IoM from Lakes is (obviously) really easy.

I've never seen Ireland (and been sure of it) from the Lakes but I know it's possible.

According to some, Black Coombe is the best point on the "mainland" to see all UK countries (and Eire as well I presume) when the visibility's good enough - not the case when I was up there earlier this year ☹

Post edited at 15:44
 Paul Hy 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

i seem to recall someone telling me that from the summit of Grossglockner (tallest mountain in Austria that you could see 9 countries, looking at the map now, it must be Italy, Slovenia, Hungary,, Slovakia, Czechia, Germany, Switzerland, France and im assuming the other one to be Croatia, or possible Liechtenstein, if you can count it, would be 10!

 Kalna_kaza 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Michael Hood:

> According to some, Black Coombe is the best point on the "mainland" to see all UK countries (and Eire as well I presume) when the visibility's good enough - not the case when I was up there earlier this year ☹

Black Coombe definitely has a prime position overlooking the Irish Sea but it looks like Ireland is not quite visible from it's summit:

http://viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/CUM/BLACKCOMBE.GIF

I have reliably seen Ireland from Pillar on an exceptionally clear frosty morning in November as it appears as a separate entity between the IoM and the Mull of Galloway.

http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/ENGP/PILLAR.png

Clownfish 01 Sep 2020

I had a very good view recently of Snowdonia, presumably the Carneddau, from more or less sea level on Walney Island in Cumbria. I've seen North Wales from high on the Lakeland fells often enough but this was pretty exceptional.

cb294 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Paul Hy:

Interesting question! To turn this the other way around, I can vouch for seeing Grossglockner from Germany, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.

So which are the other three?

I have my doubts about whether Hungary and Slovakia would work, both are rather low lying countries (or, more precisely, the Slovak mountains are on the wrong end of the country). Can you see GG from Vienna?

France?  The furthest mountains I could just about make out from Grossglockner was the Valais Alps, about 100 km to the East of MB, so it might just about be possible.

Liechtenstein should definitely work, it has a few 2200m peaks on the Austrian border, depends on whether the view towards East is free from one of them. The Ötztal Alps at least seem to be far enough south to not obstruct the view, and GG has plenty prominence over the Tuxer and Zillertal summits.

GG should also be visible from Croatia (there are reasonably high mountains near Zagreb that should offer a good view NW).

Maybe it is therefore also visible from NW-most Bosnia?

In my experience, though, the mountain in the Eastern Alps that is easiest to spot from far away is Grossvenediger, even if it is 120m lower than Grossglockner.

CB

edit: The viewfinder panorama for GG shows Ucka in Croatia, so that seems to be conformed:

http://viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/EUR/GROSSGLOCKNER-S.gif

Post edited at 18:39
 Mike-W-99 01 Sep 2020
In reply to cb294:

Some very long lines of sight captured here https://beyond-horizons.org

 Sean Kelly 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

From personal experience I have seen the Galloway Hills and Hills to the south of the Wicklows from the top of Snowdon on 2 occasions. Well over 100 miles!

OP Dan Arkle 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Paul Hy:

Thanks, that sounds difficult to beat!

 Blunderbuss 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

I just see the sea...I'm clearly missing something? 

 wilkie14c 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

can see the lakes and n wales at the same time from blackpool if the clarity is good enough. Bit depressing when it’s on your way to work though! 

 Michael Hood 01 Sep 2020
In reply to wilkie14c:

On a clear winter's day you can see both Lakes & N Wales from Rivington Pike.

Also, from Teggs Nose (above Macclesfield), you can identify the various peaks in Snowdonia if the light's right.

Two locations where you can get a long view for little physical effort.

 Ian Hinkins 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

From the Old Man of Coniston on Monday we could see North Wales and Anglesey, IOM and Scotland. Didn't see Ireland but didn't look too hard. 

cb294 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Mike-W-99:

I wonder whether they are missing some obvious candidates, e.g. in the Himalayas Shishapangma, rising 4000m above the Tibetan plateau to the North, with no obstructing ranges.

It must be visible from a long way, same as Muztagh Ata, or any other of these giant mountains next to a flat plain.

baron 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

From our road on the Wirral you’re supposed to be able to see as far as the Lake District hence it being called Coombe Road.

On many days the weather is so bad that you’ll be lucky to see to the end of the road.

 Darron 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

I had a picture problem like that once - thump the top of the TV and it usually clears. You will need a new tube soon though🤣.

 pec 01 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

Last year I was on the summit of Merrick in Galloway, the highest summit in the Southern Uplands, as well as being able to see The Mull of Kintyre, Arran, Ailsa Craig, The Lake District, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man I could see Snowdon, which at 144 miles is apparently the longest sightline in Britain

http://viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas.html#longlinesbrit

 Rog Wilko 02 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

About 10 years ago I was on the summit of Grey Friar on an exceptionally clear February day. The IoM looked a short swim away, and the Mourne Mountains were also visible. To the north the Mull of Galloway, to the south Snowdonia, and to the SW the Wicklow mountains were all visible. 

OP Dan Arkle 02 Sep 2020
In reply to Blunderbuss:

> I just see the sea...I'm clearly missing something? 

The bottom photo is an enhancement of the top two - identical framing.

Use the bottom one as a guide to see the features in the top one - its pretty faint!

Post edited at 19:05

OP Dan Arkle 02 Sep 2020
In reply to pec:

>Merrick- Snowdon, which at 144 miles is apparently the longest sightline in Britain

Wow, I've not heard this mythical beast claimed before, and I believe it has never been photographed.

Can I ask about the conditions?

Temp, month, time of day?

 WaterMonkey 02 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

I can see the sun and that’s 93 million miles away. Do I win? 
 

1
 Michael Hood 02 Sep 2020
In reply to WaterMonkey:

Back yard stuff, I can see Saturn, much further away.

And if they're to be believed, some people say that the stars are even further away 😁🛸

 pec 02 Sep 2020
In reply to Dan Arkle:

> >Merrick- Snowdon, which at 144 miles is apparently the longest sightline in Britain

> Wow, I've not heard this mythical beast claimed before, and I believe it has never been photographed.

> Can I ask about the conditions?

> Temp, month, time of day?


It was around Easter and in the evening, getting on towards sunset, perhaps around 9pm (?) so the sun would have been in the NW. Obviously a clear day (!), it had been quite a sunny day but I can't remember how warm.

In terms of identifying Snowdon, Ailsa Craig is very distinctive and from that you could ascertain the direction to Arran and Northern Ireland. Likewise the Isle of Man is unmistakeable as the only large island due south and hence the Lakes had to be the nearest mountains to its left beyond the clearly identifiable Solway Firth and Northern Ireland to its right.

Then well beyond the Isle of Man but in that direction we could see mountains with only sea in between us and it which must therefore be Snowdonia. We did give it some thought and concluded it couldn't be anything else, looking at a map when we got home seemed to confirm this.

I did a bit of research and found the page I linked to above which seems to confirm it would be possible. Whilst the author of that says no sightings have come to his attention many people could have seen it (knowingly or unknowingly) and never reported it, why would they? I didn't!

 pec 05 Sep 2020
In reply to pec:

Just to correct my post above, it was actually May half term not Easter, I'd got my backpacks in the wrong order!

 James Malloch 05 Sep 2020
In reply to Clownfish:

> I had a very good view recently of Snowdonia, presumably the Carneddau, from more or less sea level on Walney Island in Cumbria. I've seen North Wales from high on the Lakeland fells often enough but this was pretty exceptional.

I recently got the IOM, Snowdonia and, I’m pretty sure, Galloway from Walney. I didn’t think it could be Scotland but looking at the map it extended much further out than you would expect from the lakes west coast. 
 

Some pretty amazing views of late (though that was a month or so ago)


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