Long-distance views to Orkney and Sule Stack from mainland Scotland

On an exceptionally clear midwinter day it was possible to see the highest hills in Orkney from Faraidh Head near Cape Wrath in the far west of Sutherland. I was around 90 metres above sea level. The hills of Hoy were 90 kilometres (55 miles) away.

Above: Looking east along the north coastline of Scotland, with the hills of Orkney distantly visible on the horizon in the top left (Photo: Aaron Watson, 2019)

Above: A view of the hills of Orkney from northwest Sutherland which is reminiscent of how they appeared to the eye (Photo: Aaron Watson, 2019)

Above: An enhanced image of Hoy, as seen from the far west of Sutherland. To the left is the distinctive peaked cliff of Hellia. Then the two highest hills, Cuilags and Ward Hill. The lower ground to the right is also Hoy, with the highest being the Knap of Trowiegar (Photo: Aaron Watson, 2019)

I have long been fascinated with observing the intervisibility between distant places. For me, it is fascinating to be able to see these relationships. Making such connections is dependent upon the weather and optical effects created by the atmosphere or the surface of the ocean. Many years ago, I wrote a research paper, Fluid Horizons, which considered how long-distance views were understood in prehistory, especially when the curvature of the earth's surface partially occludes far-flung landforms. This is fundamentally important to how Neolithic people constructed their sense of geography and navigated across the ocean.

Also visible from the same location was the tiny island of Sule Stack, around 50 km (31 miles) distant.

Above: Sule Stack as seen from cliffs of northwest Sutherland, with a little optical distortion caused by the ocean (Photo: Aaron Watson)

A couple of days after these observations, I recorded Orkney again from Strathay Point, 45 kilometres (27 miles) further to the east, at a height of around 40m above sea level. From here, the highest hill on Hoy was 50 kilometres (32 miles) distant.

Above: Orkney viewed from Strathay Point, revealing a more distinct landmass and increased details such as the cliffs (Photo: Aaron Watson, 2019)

A few days later, Orkney was again visible from Durness in northwest Sutherland, this time at dawn on the winter solstice.

Above: Dawn view of Orkney from Durness (Photo: Aaron Watson, 2019)