A SCOTS photographer has snapped an incredible image of the recent supermoon looming over Edinburgh Castle.
Graeme Gainey had heard of the rare blue supermoon set to appear over the capital’s skyline last night and so set out into the city to find the perfect spot.
The 67-year-old settled for a spot with a full, unobstructed view of Edinburgh Castle, hoping for a spectacular photo opportunity.
And Graeme, from Edinburgh, wasn’t left disappointed when the night sky lit up with the natural phenomena, leaving him with a gorgeous end product.
The incredible image shows a beautiful night sky in Edinburgh, as dusk settles in and twilight approaches.
Thin slivers of white clouds can be seen floating low across the city as the hulking silhouette of the castle stands proudly in the centre, lit up in yellow hues by surrounding lights.
Also visible is the green dome of the Usher Hall to the castle’s right, whilst the towering spire of The Hub, the tallest point in Edinburgh, looms over the buildings on the left.
Above all the city’s wonders, rests the large circular blue supermoon, enveloped in the clouds as its golden light shimmers across the city.
Graeme took to social media to share the incredible image this morning, writing: “Tonight’s blue supermoon full moon over central Edinburgh.
“Fortunately, the cloud cover broke up sufficiently to get a good view of it a short while after moonrise.
“It’s a ‘blue’ moon because it’s the second full moon in the same calendar month of August, and it’s a ‘supermoon’ because the full moon occurred at the point where the moon is closest to Earth.”
The post received over 230 likes and dozens of comments from Scots left wowed by Graeme’s incredible snap.
Elaine Elbe wrote: “Well done, Graeme. You’ve done it again. Amazing picture.”
Walt Barbour said: “Some cracking pics. Making me all homesick.”
Allie Cath commented: “We had an apocalyptic storm at just the right (wrong?) time.
“I did see a quick glimpse on the way to work this morning but will make an effort to check it out when I get home shortly.
“What little I did see this morning was pretty spectacular. Well done you (as always) for your efforts. Anyone would think you didn’t want to be at home.”
Lorraine Gilmour added: “So beautiful, Graeme.”
Speaking to Graeme today he said: “I take lots of photos of Edinburgh. I’m always looking out for interesting lighting, weather or astronomical events which make for a more interesting picture.
“So, I pay close attention to forecasts; and I also use apps such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris so I can work out exactly when moonrise, moonset (etc) will occur, and what angle they will be.
“That enables me to choose the best locations for photographing them. I had my bag packed already with the camera set up with a telephoto lens, and a tripod.
“I don’t drive, so I had a bit of a walk to get myself in position. The photo was taken from one of my favourite viewpoints for looking across to Edinburgh Castle.
“It looks across open ground – a mixture of playing fields and the police dog training fields, so the view is unobscured and you can get a good picture there when the castle is illuminated at night.
“One quirk of that location is that it’s near the Edinburgh and Lothian Police HQ, so the police sometimes wonder why you are pointing a big lens towards their offices.
“There were a few other photographers there last night, so I think it was obvious why we were all there.”
