Yeah , near me. Can see right across Glasgow into the trossachs, ochils, over Dunoon way.
From the A749 road just outiside EK you can see the Pentland hills
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Longest line of sight (UK)
- Thread starter Altrincham
- Start date
Yeah , near me. Can see right across Glasgow into the trossachs, ochils, over Dunoon way.
From the A749 road just outiside EK you can see the Pentland hills
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Scotrail314209
Established Member
It always fascinates me how far you can see as it makes the world seem tiny
Yeah , i find interesting what you see. I think goatfell Arran , you can see NI and Ben Nevis
DelW
Established Member
- Joined
- 15 Jan 2015
- Messages
- 3,879
Obviously not any sort of record, but visiting Larne in Northern Ireland a couple of years ago, I was surprised how close both the Mull of Kintyre and Galloway looked. I've never been down the Kintyre peninsula and although I've been to Portpatrick, it was over 50 years ago and I've no recollection of having seen the Northern Irish coast from there.
Conversely, also many years ago when holidaying on Skye, we took a day trip by ferry from Uig to Lochmaddy, which included a coach trip around North and South Uist and Benbecula. I can clearly remember at one point the coach pulling off the road, and the driver saying "on a clear day you can see St Kilda from here". That would have been about 40 miles away, but at the time it was so wet that we could barely see across the first field.
Conversely, also many years ago when holidaying on Skye, we took a day trip by ferry from Uig to Lochmaddy, which included a coach trip around North and South Uist and Benbecula. I can clearly remember at one point the coach pulling off the road, and the driver saying "on a clear day you can see St Kilda from here". That would have been about 40 miles away, but at the time it was so wet that we could barely see across the first field.
I seen a picture of a St Kilda recently from the outer Herbrides , cant remember where though.
The Mull of Galloway is good for looking out to Isle of Man , NI and Cumbria
Altrincham
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2011
- Messages
- 262
Nice one , its a different picture. Love to get up there
Scotrail314209
Established Member
I also think from the hilly areas of the Ayrshire Coast and Renfrewshire as you move towards Glasgow (Dalry, Beith etc) you can probably get a glimpse of Glasgow City Centre in the distance. I know from the top of the X36 bus when going over the hills I've got a brief glimpse of the airport runway in the distance.
I need to check that one. Certainly from like the A725 and parts of Lanarkshire you can see Glasgow.
Halish Railway
Established Member
I always enjoy the view from the top of the Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach - you can see the Lake District easily on most days and it’s said that you can see Liverpool during nighttime. I’m not quite sure if you can see the Isle of Mann.
Another good vantage point that’s close to me is on the moor north of Otley - I never realised that you could see Emley Moor transmition tower in Kirklees from there, though really it’s not too surprising considering that it’s taller than the Shard.
Baildon Moor is another good one - Yiu can see all the way to Eggborough Power station on a clear day.
Another good vantage point that’s close to me is on the moor north of Otley - I never realised that you could see Emley Moor transmition tower in Kirklees from there, though really it’s not too surprising considering that it’s taller than the Shard.
Baildon Moor is another good one - Yiu can see all the way to Eggborough Power station on a clear day.
When we moved from Somerset to The Wirral, we were on the sea front at Hoylake. Even at sea level there were some notable sights. With binoculars, the Pennines, and the Winter Hill transmitter mast, were commonly there. The upper part of Blackpool Tower came out of the sea. The other way, Anglesey was visible, and Snowdon would have been were it not cut off by the closer Clwyd Hills. About once a year in summer, the Lake District appeared, Black Fell behind Ulverston. It was quite prominent so never understood why it appeared so infrequently. Neighbour said they had seen the Isle of Man a couple of times.
We might discuss longest line of sight of trains. Just round the corner, in West Kirby, in the mid-1960s just before the end of steam, on a still night from the sea front you could just hear and see trains on the North Wales main line, moving lights through binoculars if you knew where to look. There was a whistle as they approached Point of Ayr.
Back in Somerset, on the hill west of Minehead, Selworthy Beacon, I've seen with binoculars the Severn Bridge, and aircraft landing at Cardiff Airport.
Having done the Three Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Snowdon) a couple of times, from both Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike I've seen Northern Ireland; I wonder if there's a point there where you can see both. Scafell Pike to Snowdon is more straightforward. It makes the huge distance covered between them seem inconsequential.
We might discuss longest line of sight of trains. Just round the corner, in West Kirby, in the mid-1960s just before the end of steam, on a still night from the sea front you could just hear and see trains on the North Wales main line, moving lights through binoculars if you knew where to look. There was a whistle as they approached Point of Ayr.
Back in Somerset, on the hill west of Minehead, Selworthy Beacon, I've seen with binoculars the Severn Bridge, and aircraft landing at Cardiff Airport.
Having done the Three Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Snowdon) a couple of times, from both Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike I've seen Northern Ireland; I wonder if there's a point there where you can see both. Scafell Pike to Snowdon is more straightforward. It makes the huge distance covered between them seem inconsequential.
Last edited:
eMeS
Member
Interesting.
From a high point, Holdstone Hill car park near Combe Martin last year and on a very clear day, I took some photos of the Welsh Coast, and tried to work out what I'd seen. I was relying on the built-in compass in my Canon 7D MkII and couldn't reconcile my snaps with common sense and maps. I now suspect that the frame of my spectacles was upsetting the compass, and my investigation is still ongoing...!
(Another possibility is that I have a magnetic personality!) Weird.
Altrincham
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2011
- Messages
- 262
On a trip to North Wales this weekend I managed to achieve a couple of line-of-sights that were completely new to me.
Firstly, I took the Snowdon Mountain Railway up as far as Clogwyn and for 10 minutes I was able to see almost the whole of the Isle of Anglesey (approximately 90% of it). With my binoculars I was able to clearly see a large car ferry docked at Holyhead, with another one making its way in past the breakwater. I could also see a tanker out to sea making its way round the north of Anglesey, en route to Liverpool. This tanker would mostly likely have been on the horizon when seen at sea level.
The cloud closed-in fairly quickly after 10 minutes. There was no other gaps in the cloud for potential line-of-sights in other directions, so it seems like I made it up there at the right time.
Secondly, from an elevated position slightly inland above Point Lynas on Anglesey I could clearly see the Wirral through my binoculars. It appeared as a low-lying mound jutting out behind the hills of Prestatyn. Panning round from the Wirral, looming through the haze of the turbines in Liverpool bay I could make out a very hazy mound, which could either have been Winter Hill or Wards Stone (Bowland). I wasn’t able to verify that one. And then panning round northwards, Cumbria and the Lake District was completely invisible. But panning further round, the Isle of Man of was totally visible and really clear and sharp, almost its full length (even with the naked eye).
These sightings have made me want to get a good lens for my camera.
Firstly, I took the Snowdon Mountain Railway up as far as Clogwyn and for 10 minutes I was able to see almost the whole of the Isle of Anglesey (approximately 90% of it). With my binoculars I was able to clearly see a large car ferry docked at Holyhead, with another one making its way in past the breakwater. I could also see a tanker out to sea making its way round the north of Anglesey, en route to Liverpool. This tanker would mostly likely have been on the horizon when seen at sea level.
The cloud closed-in fairly quickly after 10 minutes. There was no other gaps in the cloud for potential line-of-sights in other directions, so it seems like I made it up there at the right time.
Secondly, from an elevated position slightly inland above Point Lynas on Anglesey I could clearly see the Wirral through my binoculars. It appeared as a low-lying mound jutting out behind the hills of Prestatyn. Panning round from the Wirral, looming through the haze of the turbines in Liverpool bay I could make out a very hazy mound, which could either have been Winter Hill or Wards Stone (Bowland). I wasn’t able to verify that one. And then panning round northwards, Cumbria and the Lake District was completely invisible. But panning further round, the Isle of Man of was totally visible and really clear and sharp, almost its full length (even with the naked eye).
These sightings have made me want to get a good lens for my camera.
eMeS
Member
Very envious!
I had my first proper "outing" since Lockdown commenced, and it was to Luton last Sunday. At least on our drive back to Milton Keynes, we saw some decent views for this area, around the Barton Hills area along the A6, but in no way could they be described as long distance views.
Scotrail314209
Established Member
I was on the 900 between Glasgow and Edinburgh last week, and just after leaving Maxim Park near Coatbridge, I could make out Arthur’s Seat in the distance. This was still with about 30/40 miles to go.
nlogax
Established Member
That's an impressive stretch from the ground! It's even difficult to see that far west from planes descending into Glasgow with the local weather being what it is.
From the A721 just outside Kilncadzow near Carluke you can see right across Glasgow to Ben More (Argyll) and Ben Lomond and to the South the "Golf Ball" Radar Station is visible on Green Lowther. Green Lowther and Ben More are 121km apart. To the West, Loudoun Hill sticks up like a sore tooth 43 km away. This is from a height of a mere 260 metres.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
It's impressive when you catch the light right, that's for sure. A mile up the road from my house I can see Snowdonia clear as day in one direction, and Winter Hill and Scafell Pike in the other.
I need to buy a decent pair of binoculars.
Does anyone have any recommendations?
Black Combe is normally hidden by haze, but I saw it clearly from Southport Pier last Friday; it is to the left of Blackpool Tower. As a bonus there was an almost equally rare sight here, the tide came right in within feet of the sea wall!
Struggling to picture that one , as the land rises towards Harthill.
From East Kilbride you can see the Pentland hills.
From Fauldhouse on the train you can see Arthurs seat.
Tinto is visable from the top of the City of Glasgow college.
Scotrail314209
Established Member
Actually wait it was just after Harthill I think. Some sort of service station anyway.
Yep , i think you can see it coming down towards Harthill. Its not much of a service station ha
Altrincham
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2011
- Messages
- 262
It was amazing how incredibly clear the Isle of Man was from Anglesey.
Through the haze (looking north east from Anglesey to the horizon), my binoculars were able to pick out faint hills in Lancashire that were not visible to the naked eye. My pair of binocs are Nikon Action 7-15x35. Highly recommend them for everyday use.
Morris Dancer
Member
- Joined
- 29 Jan 2011
- Messages
- 19
From where I live in Bushey, at a height of 138m, I can see the control tower at Heathrow Airport and the North Downs from the top of the road and walking about 100m the other way I can see the top of the tower at Luton Airport (with binoculars) and the Chiltern Hills.
arbeia
Member
If I walk in my town, to the top of the hill, which is 70 metres altitude, my vista is from The Cheviot to just short of Whitby.
I went on a walk in Dalswinton (roughly 5 miles north of Dumfries) today and could easily make out the hills of the Cumbrian Coast along from Carlisle to Whitehaven.
Halish Railway
Established Member
Last week, during my visit to Blackpool, I realised that you could see Snowdonia (some 60 miles away) from the top of some of the taller attractions. That would be 235ft above sea level on the Big One.
Altrincham
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2011
- Messages
- 262
I’d love to see Snowdonia from Blackpool.
I’ve seen some photos recently on Twitter showing really clear views from the seafront at Blackpool. The Isle of Man has been particularly prominent, especially at sunset.