Northern Lights Scotland 2022: Here are 10 of the best places to see the Aurora Borealis in Scotland this winter
The aurora borealis is one of the most spectacular sights to see in the night sky, and you might not have to travel as far as you think to catch the colourful dancing lights.
It’s a sight that has caused excitement, awe, joy and even fear over the centuries – the brilliant multi-coloured Northern Lights that occasionally illuminate the dark skies of the Northern Hemisphere.
A major tourist industry has become established in recent years, charging people desperate to experience the phenomenon large amounts for trips to vast and dark wildernesses in Iceland and Scandinavia.
But the truth is that Scotland is far north enough to offer a decent chance to see the aurora borealis, and has plenty of locations where the skies are dark enough for the lights to shine.
They’ve even been seen in Edinburgh in recent times.
The moving patterns of green, blue, purple and red are caused by solar storms on the surface of the sun, which create clouds of electrically charged particles that are forcefully expelled.
Some of these particles collide with the Earth, with some becoming caught in the planet’s magnetic field, where they are attracted to the north and south poles.
This collection of particles collide with atoms and molecules already present in the atmosphere, heating them up and causing them to glow – creating the Northern Lights.
The closer you are to the North Pole, the higher your chance of seeing them, with most of Scotland in the zone where they are – in theory – regularly visible.
And autumn is one of the best times to catch a display, with long cold nights and (hopefully) clear skies providing the perfect conditions.
Of course you need to be lucky, but a regular check of the Aurora Watch website, which measures the amount of solar activity each day, will let you know when it’s worth heading out to try your luck.
Here are 10 of the best places in Scotland to go aurora hunting.
Read more:
1. Shetland
Given you have more chance of seeing the lights the further north you go, it's no surprise that the Shetland Islands - the furthest north you can get in Scotland before you get to the Faroe Islands - provide one of your best chances to see the colourful phenomenon.
Photo: Canva/Getty Images
2. The Outer Hebrides
Another island destination offering the perfect combination of dark skies and a northern latitude is the Outer Hebrides. For a truly magical experience, try to see them over the atmospheric Callanish Standing Stones on Lewis.
Photo: Canva/Getty Images
3. Orkney
Another island group in the far north of Scotland, Orkney has the added bonus of being relatively flat, meaning you can see more of the sky, meaning there's even more of a chance to see the aurora.
Photo: Canva/Getty Images
4. Caithness
Caithness and the north coast of Sutherland offers a large area of unspoilt scenery in the far north of mainland Scotland. With little light pollution, there are plenty of places to go aurora hunting in this area, including the picturesque lighthouse at Noss Head.
Photo: Canva/Getty Images