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Old October 2nd 10, 11:50 AM posted to uk.sci.weather
MCC[_3_] MCC[_3_] is offline
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First recorded activity by Weather-Banter: Oct 2008
Posts: 386
Default Unusual cloud formation

Yokel wrote:

On 29/09/2010 18:35, MCC wrote:
Two photographs taken in Stromness, Orkney just after sunrise yesterday
morning can be seen at http://www.orcadian.co.uk/
Scroll down until you come to them.

They've now moved to the "More of this week's headlines" link, but I've
found them.

The building looks familiar. Is it the hotel that looks out over the
Harbour? If it is, I have spent a couple of nights in one of the rooms
in the front with a harbour view. The Orkneys are one of my favourite
places and I look forward to visiting again some day.


Yes, that's the Stromness Hotel at the Pier Head.

From the angle and the time of day given, the interpretation of the
"Orcadian" would be spot on and the high ground responsible would be
Ward Hill on Hoy (famous for its "Old Man" stack which you sail past on
the ferry from Scrabster to Stromness), the highest ground in those
parts at over 2000 feet asl.


Slight correction - Ward Hill on Hoy is 1571 feet asl.

For the benefit of others on this
newsgroup, the rest of the Orkney group is generally much lower so Hoy
is for this purpose an "isolated mountain". If the wind was from the
west or south-west the effect would be enhanced by the high cliffs which
Hoy presents to the Atlantic on that side.

"Ward Hill" is one of those common names which appear all over that part
of the world, usually referring to the highest hill in the area - if
memory serves me correctly even the Orkneys have at least one more on
another island. Another peculiarity is "County March Summit", of which
there are a number on the Scottish Highland railway network.


Yes, there's a Ward Hill in Orphir on the Orkney mainland.
--
MCC