The strange light of the Simmer Dim on these long midsummer nights

For those in the north, the light barely seems to fade as we move towards the longest day.

The Simmer Dim is the twilight that holds the sky in June when the sun sinks barely below the horizon. PIC: RRobertson/Flickr/CC.

The Simmer Dim is the name given to the lovely twilight that holds the sky in these early summer months and is cast when the sun sets just below the horizon, meaning that no true darkness falls.

The Simmer Dim is also the word some use to describe the Summer Solstice, or longest day, which this year falls on Saturday, June 20.

The Simmer Dim is most keenly observed in Orkney and Shetland.

According to Orkney folklore site Orkneyjar.com, the island sun is above the horizon for over 18 hours in June.

At the midsummer solstice, the sun rises in the north-east, around 4am, before setting again, in the north-west, at around 10.30pm.

It’s a long way from winter when the sun rises after 9am and sinks beneath the horizon again around 3.30pm.

Some may not enjoy the lightness of the night, while others truly embrace it – even sleeping with the curtains open to fully soak up this special time of year.