LISNABREENY HILL – NOVEMBER 2022 | Analogue Boy In A Digital World

This was a proper lovely walk. So proper and lovely, I actually did it twice.

I’ve been a semi frequent visitor to Lisnabreeny Hill over the past two and a bit years, but I really wanted to go up at Sunrise.

I did have an attempt at Sunset in August. I got some nice shots but I messed up the timings so I was limited in what I could shoot.

In October, I tried again. The sky was bright, I was ready to go, then the sky changed to torrential rain. Think i’ll give it a miss.

So I had to wait until mid November for my next chance to get Sunrise photos.

The problem with getting Sunrise photos is, and it’s a big problem, that you have to get up early.

Even in Winter, when it is later.

There has actually been a decent run of Sunrises and Sunsets recently. No use for me though as I have been stuck in work.

This time, I made the effort and got up early. However, I would be held up getting there.

I got caught out by the weather, and my car was frozen so I had to Deice it, which wasted valuable Sunrise photo taking time.

Eventually I arrived at around 7.30am, bypassing Cregagh Glen to go straight to Lisnabreeny Hill, parking in Four Winds and walking along Manse Road to the starting point.

Unusually, I managed to get some photos on Manse Road as I was walking up, as I didn’t want to miss out the red sky.

By the time I got to the top, the sky was now golden. Perfect, just what I was looking for. Time to go snap snap snap.

There’s just something about that early morning Sunrise glow. It made for perfect shooting conditions. I had to make the most of it while I had it.

Eventually, I headed back down to the American War Cemetery to get some snaps of that. There was some frost on the ground as I was getting photos.

Between that and the deicing incident, a reminder that Winter is here.

And there was me thinking it was nice and mild.

Once that was done, I headed back up to the top of Lisnabreeny Hill just to have a second go of some Sunrise photos as it was still rising.

It was an enjoyable walk, although I did regret not getting up earlier. Just ten or fifteen minutes could have made such a difference.

As I said earlier, the problem with trying to photograph Sunrises are that they take place too early.

If I was being picky, I would have loved it if there was some cows or leaves that could have been used as props for my photos.

I definitely plan on being back up soon to try again, possibly at some point in December.

When I do, I might incorporate Cregagh Glen into it as I haven’t walked there for a while.

It was the start of a week off work for me. I had a lot of Annual Leave to use up, so the opening week of the World Cup sounded like a good week to use some of it up.

How coincidental you could say. The truth is, I would have had to take a week off in November. This wasn’t a bad week to be off.

I was off for a week last November and went to Brighton.

Nowhere spectacular this time around.

I was intending to use the mornings to take in some hillwalks closer to home.

With no 10am match on the Monday, I decided to head to Blackmountain, where I had only been once this year.

As I left the house, it was dull and dark. I could live with that. The photos wouldn’t be good but at least i’d be getting up Blackmountain.

Driving there, a little bit of drizzle. I can live with that. I could change my plans and go up Divis Mountain instead.

Nope, as I parked my car, torrential rain started to fall.

I had some errands to do, so I turned around and did them instead.

There’ll be other opportunities to come in December so i’ll try again then, weather permitting.

On the Tuesday morning, I headed to Minnowburn.

My intention was to try and get some Sunrise photos.

I think my bed was too comfy as I missed the best part of it. There was a glorious red sky as I was getting in the car.

As with visits there, I covered Minnowburn, Terrace Hill Gardens and Giant’s Ring, but in a different order, starting at Minnowburn.

That was because the Car Park at Giant’s Ring doesn’t open until 10am, so I had no choice but to park at Minnowburn.

It was a nice walk. I got some ok photos but nothing spectacular. Not as successful as the walk up Lisnabreeny. I’ll try again at some point in December or January.

You can see my photos from Minnowburn here.

My plan for Wednesday was to cycle to Whiteabbey but seeing the weather forecast for heavy rain, I decided against it, especially as I could hear the rain when I was lying in bed.

Of course, it was actually ok when I headed out on my bike, the worst of the weather seemingly over.

I decided to stay local, deciding to go for a cycle along Bog Meadows.

This was somewhere I enjoy visiting but I hadn’t been for a while.

No particular reason. It was just that I was busy doing other walking and cycling routes.

I’d actually forgotten how much I enjoy visiting Bog Meadows.

By this point, the sun had come out, it was a lovely bright morning. I really could have done with that two days earlier when I was planning to walk up Blackmountain.

With it being a weekday morning, I had the place to myself.

While cycling about, I had an idea.

At some point over the Winter months, i’m going to attempt to get Sunrise or Sunset photos here.

It’s a walk I can actually walk to, which is handy.

There are a lot of places where you can get some nice photos, some good composition and framing, and you can make the most of a good sun.

Be warned, if it has rained recently, there will be puddles everywhere so bring your wellies.

Finding out where to take the best photos will be trial and error, probably more error.

Hopefully, it works out as well as this photo adventure.

Photo Album

Lisnabreeny Hill – August 2022

Cregagh Glen/Lisnabreeny Hill – April 2022

Cregagh Glen/Lisnabreeny Hill – July 2021