Thank you both. It was a fabulous night in a fabulous place. The sound was incredible - wind in the corrie, stags roaring across the loch, and a stream gurgling past the end of the bothy. Very special.
Thanks Wookster. Don't worry, its not you - it's the camera. ;-)
I've got a DMC LX3 which, while it's still a compact and doesn't measure up to an SLR, does give you a fair bit of control - and a nice wee leica lens. I don't know if the TZ18 would give you that level of control...