Man Stands Above Clouds To Capture Astonishing Night Skies

This is the moment a man stood above the clouds to capture one of the most astonishing night skies seen above Scotland.

Chris Miles, 35, had been waiting for years to capture the sky with the clouds blocking the lights of the towns and cities below.

And for Chris, a software developer, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, it will remain a sight that he will never forget.

The photograph, which was taken at Tomtain in the Kilsyth Hills, North Lanarkshire, earlier this week.

The moon is seen rising in the sky under a blanket of stars and street lights can be seen reflecting on the clouds below.

Chris can be seen standing with his dog taking in the view.

He said: “For the many years I’ve been walking in the hills I’ve dreamed of a perfect walk where I could be on top of a snow covered hill, above the clouds, in a blanket of stars, and to top it off, watch the moon rise across the clouds.

“Having all the pieces come together at the right time is very tricky, as low cloud inversions are only prominent at certain times of year and to be able to coincide it with moon rise, clear skies, and snow-covered hills makes it difficult.

“I saw the opportunity as the fog was lying heavy across the central belt, and I only had to drive 20 minutes from where I live to Tomtain in the Kilsyth hills.

“At first I thought I wasn’t going to be able to get high enough to break through the top of low hanging cloud.

“Then the stars started to appear one at a time until I emerged into one of the darkest skies I’ve ever saw in the Central Belt.

“All the light pollution from the towns and cities were trapped under hundreds of metres of cloud.

“If it wasn’t so cold, even in my mountain clothing, I would have stayed there all night.”