Can you see the Northern Lights in Scotland? (2023 / 2024)
Can you see the Northern Lights in Scotland? When can you see the Northern Lights in Scotland? What are the Northern Lights? When is the best time to see the Northern Lights in 2022 or 2023? Where is the best place to see Northern Lights in Scotland? Want tips on how to improve your chances of viewing the aurora borealis in Scotland? Why do you need a torch with a red light like this one from Amazon?
When people talk about seeing the Northern Lights they tend to mean going on holiday to somewhere like Norway to see them. You can actually see them in the UK and Scotland is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights (also known as the aurora borealis).
Photo: Maria Macdonald, South Uist
Read our top tips on how to view the Northern Lights and then take a holiday to Scotland to see this breath-taking natural spectacle.
Make 2022 or 2023 the year you see the Northern Lights in Scotland.
What time of year is best to see the Northern Lights in Scotland?
The best time of year to see the Northern Lights in Scotland is the autumn and winter months when the nights are longer and darker. They don’t appear on set dates each year and are only visible in dark skies.
We saw them in September in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Locals said that was quite early as normally they wouldn’t see them until October.
Can you see the Northern Lights in the summer?
During the summer months it’s virtually impossible to see the Northern Lights because summer nights are very light in the north of Scotland (and the rest of the aurora-watching places). The Northern Lights can happen at any time of year but you need dark skies to see them.
Best months to see the Northern Lights in Scotland
A clear, dark winter night can give you breath-taking views of this display. There can be up to 18 hours of darkness in winter so as a general guide, we recommend the following months:
- October
- November
- December – the shortest day is 21 December so there are more hours of darkness at this time of year which could increase your chance of seeing the Northern Lights
- January
- February
- March
We don’t suggest you plan a holiday to see the Northern Lights in the months of:
- April
- May
- June – the longest day is 21 June when there is very little darkness
- July
- August
- September
There is still a chance you may see the aurora if it’s dark enough at night during the spring or autumn. But if your main aim is to see them, you’re best to avoid these months. If you visit Scotland in August, you’ll find it’s only truly dark for several hours. This means you have almost no chance of seeing the Northern Lights in August in Scotland.
How often do you see the Northern Lights in Scotland?
There is no easy answer to this question as it depends on factors such as the right solar conditions, clear skies and it needs to be in the autumn or winter.
Best places to see the Northern Lights in Scotland
So where can you see the Northern Lights in Scotland? In theory, the Northern Lights can be seen anywhere within the UK if geomagnetic conditions are very active.
Usually, it’s the north of the UK which gives you the best chance of seeing the “mirrie dancers”. This is why Scotland’s Highlands and Islands are such a great place to stay to see the Northern Lights. Spending your holiday as far north as you can, could increase your chances too.
Northern Lights accommodation in Scotland
You don’t need to go on a special “Northern Lights holiday” in Scotland. We’ve seen them just from the garden or window of the holiday cottages we’ve been staying in.
This means there are potentially lots of chances to see them. We recommend booking your accommodation in a remote area of Scotland with little or no light pollution so you might be able to see the Northern Lights from where you’re staying. It’s also important to remember that there’s no guarantee of seeing them so choose a destination that interests you in other ways too.
Some of the best places to see the Northern Lights in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands are:
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides is a fantastic place to see the Northern Lights in Scotland and I’ve been fortunate to see them several times whilst on holiday on North Uist. This island chain has little light pollution so take your pick from Lewis, Harris, South Uist, North Uist, Benbecula, Barra and Eriskay.
The Northern Lights are called Na Fir Chlis (the Nimble Men) in Scottish Gaelic folklore.
See places to stay on the Outer Hebrides
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Isle of Skye
There are 9 Dark Skye discovery sites on Skye so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to finding somewhere without light pollution.
See places to stay on the Isle of Skye
Isle of Coll
The Isle of Coll is proud to be a Dark Sky Island. The Coll community has rejected the introduction of street lighting making it one of the best places to observe for star-gazing and aurora-watching.
Isle of Mull
See places to stay on the Isle of Mull
Caithness coast and Sutherland
As the most northerly part of the mainland, Sutherland and Caithness are a good place to stay to increase your chance.
See places to stay in Caithness and Sutherland
Orkney Isles
Orkney is off the north coast of Scotland so another good place for Northern Light hunting. Try setting up watch on the beach at Dingieshowe, the coast at Birsay, or the top of Wideford Hill.
Moray coast
The area of Moray is one of the more southerly areas where you might have a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights in Scotland. Moray’s Astronomy Club, Sigma, sometimes runs public aurora watching sessions.
Wester Ross coast (including Gairloch and Ullapool)
See places to stay in Wester Ross
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Cairngorms
See places to stay in the Cairngorms and Aviemore
Fort William and Lochaber
It’s possible to see the Northern Lights from Fort William even though it’s a busy town with street lights.
See places to stay in Fort William and Lochaber
Shetland
The islands of Shetland are the most northerly part of the British Isles so they are a good place to see the Northern Lights. Avoid places with street lights, such as Lerwick, as this can reduce your chances.
In Shetland they call the Northern Lights the “mirrie dancers” which is a perfect name for these dancing ribbons of light.
See places to stay on Shetland
Scotland Northern Lights holidays
Check out our directory for some stunning holiday accommodation in the Scottish Highlands & Islands to see the Northern Lights.
See: 15 stunning photos of the Northern Lights in Scotland
Northern Lights Scotland forecast 2022/2023 – will I see the Northern Lights tonight?
For a Northern Lights forecast in the UK, there is AuroraWatch UK, part of Lancaster University, which provides free alerts when the aurora borealis may be visible from the UK including Scotland’s Highlands and Islands. I use their free smartphone app. AuroraWatch UK share it’s data so you can monitor geomagnetic activity in real time.
If you want to know whether you’ll see the Northern Lights in Scotland or the UK tonight, check out the latest info below which is direct from the AuroraWatch website.
Please remember that the Northern Lights are unpredictable and even if they are forecast, you may not see them.
How to view the Northern Lights – our tips to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights
Solar activity
It needs to be a night with increased solar activity – we list some ways to find out when the Northern Lights may be seen below.
Clear night
It needs to be a clear night – you may be able to still see them through broken cloud but if you can’t see the stars then you won’t see the northern lights.
No light pollution
Find a dark location away from light pollution from street lights, cars and buildings. The lack of large cities and towns in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland means you won’t have to go far to find your perfect spot.
Not a full moon
A full moon can make the northern lights difficult to see.
Look all around you
Look north but be aware that if there are high levels of geomagnetic activity you should check in all directions. Use a compass to make sure you know where north is. A smartphone normally has a compass.
Make an effort
It takes a bit of dedication to see the Northern Lights. We are not great at staying up late. If there’s been an aurora alert but we can’t stay up any later, we go to bed set our alarm every hour so we (it’s normally down to me!) can check out the window to see if anything is happening. If you get up in the night for the loo or to get a drink, don’t miss the opportunity to look outside.
Choosing accommodation with large windows can help you do this without having to actually go outside in your pyjamas.
Keep warm
Scotland’s winters can be cold. A clear night sky will be ideal for watching the Northern Lights but the temperature will drop even more. Dress in your warmest outdoor clothing including gloves and a hat.
Wrap up warm and take a flask of tea or a hip flask of your favourite single malt (as long as you don’t have to drive!).
Preserve your night vision with a red light torch
Preserve your night vision by using a torch with a red light instead of white light. White light negatively affects your night vision. Torches with red lights are available from Amazon.
Be patient
The best times to view are generally between 9pm and 12am so be prepared to wait. There will be some incredible night skies and shooting stars to look at while you wait.
It’s worth checking at any time though if it’s dark.
Be vigilant
They don’t usually exhibit for long so you need to keep looking. A northern lights display could last only a few minutes. A good display may last for no longer than 15-30 minutes. Displays could continue for several hours if you’re very lucky.
Know what the Nothern Lights look like
This may sound obvious but if you’ve only seen them in stunning photos, you may not know that they don’t always look like that.
The Northern Lights are created by the Earth’s spectra of gases and the height in the atmosphere where the collision of particles from the sun and the Earth’s gases takes place.
Our naked eye can most easily see the green-yellow part of the spectrum where the sun emits most of it’s light. You’re most likely to see green but the they can also appear white/grey. If you’ve never seen them before and are looking on a cloudy night, you might not be sure what you’re seeing.
We have seen them as wispy grey or white clouds, which can be easy to miss. It was only when they started moving in a strange way, we realised that they were actually the Northern Lights.
Your camera sees more than you can
Our eyes don’t see such bright, vivid colours that are captured by a camera. This means photos of the aurora are normally more impressive than what you will see live. They can also be happening but not visible to the naked eye.
Taking photos can make you miss out
Although everyone would love to capture amazing images of the Northern Lights we suggest that you don’t be too fixated on taking photos, just enjoy watching the magical, shifting ribbons of colour, especially if it’s your first time.
Never give up
Don’t give up. If you don’t see them the first time, keep on trying. When you do see them it will be worth it!
Places to stay with dark skies
Video – See the Northern Lights in Scotland
Watching this short film will give you an idea of the kind of thing that you should look out for when you’re watching the aurora borealis. Remember, that cameras see more vivid colours than your eyes though.How to photograph the Northern Lights
Taking photographs of the Northern Lights can be tricky but worthwhile because the camera sees the aurora better than the human eye. Check out the guides below which include equipment, camera settings and more and don’t forget to share your photos with us on social media.- Northern Lights Photography – the definitive guide by Dave Morrow
- How to photograph the Northern Lights – a good beginner’s guide from Photography Life
Resources and further reading
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Comments
Tara
19th January 2022 at 17:18I’m new in this country and adore to see Northern Lights on February in Scotland. But where and how, I don’t know and need ur help.
Maxene Kupperman-Guiñals
8th February 2020 at 23:18Thank you for this most informative article. We plan to be in Sutherland in October, and perhaps we will have the opportunity to revel in the Lights.
I would like to enter the aurora watch app to my iPhone, so I hope I can.
Robert thomas
16th August 2020 at 13:29THanks for the information of camping in September and a month or two later one of my to do things is see the northern lights will find somewhere dark and as north as we can go with safety first a must I know theres plenty to see anywhere on a clear night with no light pollution but to see the northern lights would be one of the best moments in my life got binoculars buying a telescope wont stop trying plus scotland is a beautifull pristine place to visit we always respect the wilderness when we visit anything we take we always bring back its respect all them lovely views cost nothing but your never disappointed whether your on the top ofa mountain or walking through rest and be thankfull or kayaking on a loch it’s a wonderful place we have our mountains and lakes in england but scotland beats us for the unspoilt history there to see
Tara
28th September 2021 at 13:52It’s one of my biggest wishes to see Aurora. I was so lucky to visit ur page. Thx for ur useful information about Northern-Lightings. Hope I can see them this year though⚡️
Robert Tait
14th November 2021 at 14:50While walking the dog on 12/11/21 at about 10pm I saw what appeared to be searchlights going back and forward through the night sky. It was a pretty clear night with few clouds,some stars visible and a half moon.
admin
4th January 2022 at 17:18That must have been a great sight and I really like your description of them being “searchlights”.