Northern Lights

Autumn and winter seasons, with their long periods of darkness and the frequency of clear nights, are probably the best time of the year to experience the auroral displays. Nights need to be cold and the sky clear of clouds, with limited light pollution and increased solar activity. Staying up until the wee hours of the morning may also help.

Keep an eye on the Aurora Forecast which offers notifications on increased auroral activity by free text message alerts.

Find out more on the Aurora Watch UK website

Islands

In the Hebrides, the lights can be seen on Lewis, Harris and at the most northerly tip of Skye. The quirky Shulista Croft Wigwams are a cosy base for exploring the Trotternish Peninsula on Skye, which is home to no less than nine Dark Sky Discovery Sites, making it one of the best places in Scotland for stargazing, as well as hunting for the Northern Lights.

Find out more about the Shulista Croft Wigwams

Further north, you can also catch the lights in Shetland, Orkney and Caithness.

West Coast

Places like Applecross, Lochinver and north of Ullapool are great spots on the far north west coast of Scotland to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis. 

Central

Rannoch Moor, Perthshire and the Cairngorms are all places where the lights have been spotted. 

Named after Aurora (the Roman goddess of dawn) and Boreas (the Greek name for north wind), this amazing spectacle is caused by charged particles accelerated into the Earth's upper atmosphere along magnetic field lines. The energy to drive this display is provided by the sun, in the form of a 'solar wind'. The sun may be millions and millions of miles away, but it is the reason we see this extraordinary sight.

Aurorae come in all colours, shapes and patterns, setting the night sky alive with rainbows of light. The variations in colour are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding, from yellowish-greens, blues and purples, to fiery reds and oranges. The playful streaks that snake across the night sky evolve and change constantly, and can last minutes or merely seconds. One thing is for certain: the end result is always truly spectacular.

Capturing the Northern Lights

When the conditions are perfect and the sky glows with colour, your next thought might be night-time photography. Taking a great shot of the night sky is quite a skill - both a sturdy tripod and a wide-angle lens will improve your image quality.

For more tips, check out this photography guide