Too windy at Young's.

With a NE wind forecast and despite the Met Office low level wind chart promising 23mph at 1,000ft, I headed out to Robin Young's Hill anyway. Arriving as the only occupant of the car park the wind did not seem too strong so I headed up to the top takeoff with my paraglider. Wind was bang on the hill but seemed a bit too strong - confirmed by the windmeter that showed 20mph gusting 26mph at times. There was some lively looking cumulus around, mixed with bright sunshine. I texted my students to tell them not to bother making the journey.

I was soon joined by Dermot Lagan and we had a wander round the clifftop and round by Sallagh Bowl with Dermot, who hasn't soared Young's yet, getting some site assessment practice in. In the strong wind it was easy to demonstrate the rotor behind the cliff by throwing up a handful of dry grass and watching it swirl all over the place. We were entertained by a soaring buzzard in Sallagh Bowl and the views across by Ballygally Head to Scotland were crisp and clear. Apart from me getting a mild dig from an electric fence, we managed to sort out the EU Brexit argument in advance of the referendum next week!

After wandering about for over two hours it became apparent that the wind was not dying down and as it had now moved more Northerly there was no point in waiting so I had the rare privelege of carrying my kit back down to the car. A Northerly wind here generates severe turbulence on the NE facing hill.