Aurora Borealis

The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is a natural wonder that has fascinated mankind for millennia, the Northern Lights are mother nature’s private show and it is absolutely inspiring to witness.

It may come as a surprise to many but North Scotland actually lies at the same latitude as Stavanger in Norway and Nunivak Island in Alaska, which means that you are in with a good chance of witnessing the ‘Aurora Borealis’ while on a Campervan Road Trip in Scotland!

In this article we will tell you the best places to witness the Northern Lights in Scotland, as well as tips to help you have a better chance of seeing them, advice for photographing them, and information on Scotland’s amazing ultra low light polluted spots. Absolutely perfect for watching the night sky.

What are the Northern Lights?

The Aurora Borealis is one of the most beautiful phenomena in the natural world. The Northern Lights are a naturally occurring spectacle that most people have heard of but few have actually seen.

These dancing, skipping, multi-coloured lights are caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with the earth’s magnetic field. They are most visible in Northern countries such as Scotland.

If you are lucky enough to witness this natural phenomenon, you may see the Northern Lights as green, purple, pink or red hues dancing above you. This magical sight has been the source of many myths and legends across different civilisations.

For example, in Scottish Gaelic folklore, the northern lights are called Na Fir Chlis ‘The Nimble Men’ and further North in the Scottish Islands of Shetland and Orkney, you might hear them being referred to as ‘Mirrie Dancers’. Mirr or Mirrie is the Orkney and Shetland word for shimmering, these magical dancers never fail to delight anyone who lays eyes on them.

Best time of year to see THE NORTHERN LIGHTS in Scotland?

The best time to see the Northern Lights in Scotland are during the Autumn and Winter seasons. The months of October, November, December, January and February are the months you will have the best chance of viewing this extraordinary spectacle in Scotland. The night needs to be a cold dark night with the sky clear of clouds. Staying up well past bedtime will also help, so if you are planning on going Northern Light Hunting you may be turning nocturnal by the end of your trip!

Top Tip

Don’t forget that, to ensure optimum darkness, you should be in an area away from Light Pollution. Being in close proximity to Street Lighting or other artificial lights will significantly reduce your chances of viewing the Northern Lights. That is why travelling in a Campervan is such a fantastic way to view the Nights Sky, you can easily get to more remote locations while still being fully self sufficient.

Best Places to see the Northern Lights IN SCOTLAND?

The North of Scotland, including our Highlands and Islands will no doubt increase your chances of viewing this spectacle. The Aurora Borealis could however be seen anywhere in Scotland if the right conditions are met and where the light pollution is at a minimum. As the Northern Lights are concentrated at the poles, they are most visible at higher altitudes with low light pollution. This is why the Scottish Highlands are such a great place to witness them!

North Coast 500

Throughout the iconic North Coast 500 Road Trip there are many fantastic opportunities to stop for the night and view the night sky, with the possibility of also witnessing the Northern Lights. Villages and Towns around the North Coast 500 are only lightly populated in comparison to Scotland’s larger cities. These Towns and Villages around the NC500 make for a great pitstop with nice local shops & cafes to get you fed & watered ready for the night.

To avoid any light pollution from these towns, you would be best moving to a more remote location, outside of the towns. Having a Campervan or Tent really makes a big difference here as you can pick a fantastically remote area and get yourself organised for viewing the night sky and hopefully also witnessing the Northern Lights.

SHETLAND And Orkney ISLANDS

It makes sense to travel as far north in Scotland as possible to be closer to the Aurora Borealis. Therefore you could book a ferry with your Campervan and venture to the northernmost regions in Scotland, the Orkney and Shetland Islands, over 100 miles (160 kilometres) from the mainland of Scotland.

Shetland lies closer to the North Pole than any other part of Britain, making it one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in Scotland. Over winter, the locals will vouch that you can expect to see the auroras several times with a mix of low-level displays and one or two really spectacular ones. There is an abundance of open countryside on Shetland so there are plenty of places to pull up your Campervan and settle down for a magical night.

Not only would you have the chance to see the northern lights in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. You’d also get to admire coastal scenery, spot wildlife and soak up Viking history. In January, experience the Up Helly Aa fire festival in honour of Viking traditions that celebrated the rebirth of the sun each winter.

OUTER HEBRIDES

Another cluster of islands you should consider for witnessing the Northern Lights in Scotland is the Outer Hebrides. This northwestern archipelago is scattered in the Atlantic Ocean and flaunts breathtaking, secluded islands set away from light pollution.

There is little to no light pollution here, which means the skies are open, dark and clear, which makes perfect conditions for a possible sighting of the Northern Lights. There are lots of remote beaches on the Isle of Harris which sits to the south, and the open flat countryside of Lewis offers up large empty landscapes perfect for good views.

Spend your days exploring gorgeous white sand beaches, characterful towns like Stornoway, and Neolithic monuments such as the Calanais Standing Stones. The untouched landscapes provide a wonderful backdrop to the Northern Lights, should they appear. If you don’t get lucky spotting the Aurora Borealis, these islands will captivate you nonetheless.

ISLE OF SKYE

The Isle of Skye is another iconic place to add to your Road Trip. The Isle of Skye is an island set off the west coast of Scotland and is known to be a good location for Northern Lights in Scotland. There are many remote regions which are away from light pollution, so you won’t struggle to find somewhere quiet to park up and wait. There are a good few Dark Sky Discovery sites on the island. Glendale, where you will also find the famous Fairy Pools, is said to be a good location where they have been seen on occasion, but there is no telling where the lights will show face, you just need to choose a remote location and get cosy while waiting.

There’s a certain romance in the air at this time too, so you may want to consider visiting on a Honeymoon or romantic couple’s break. Whether or not the northern lights appear for you, Skye’s magic will cast a spell on you.

WHAT CAUSES THE AURORA BOREALIS?

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.

Increase your chances of seeing the northern lights in Scotland

Check the weather forecast, the best conditions are clear and still nights.
Find a remote area with minimal Light Pollution as this can significantly reduce your view of the night sky.
This is not a quick and easy experience. You are likely going to be outside for several hours, so you want to make sure you are nice and cosy inside your Campervan.
Keep an eye out for unusual light patterns in the sky. Sometimes it can look like a faint flicker of colour, and other times you will have no doubt that it is the auroras.
Stay up past bedtime, the wee hours of the morning when everyone is asleep are often when the ‘The Nimble Men’ and the ‘Mirrie Dancers’ come out to play!

Can you see the northern lights with the naked eye?

You can see the northern lights with your naked eyes, but only in conditions where there is very little Light Pollution. It is pretty much impossible to see the Northern Lights during the day as sunlight will completely wash out the colours of the aurora.

Photographing the Northern Lights

If actually witnessing the Northern Lights sounds like a hard task, wait until you actually do witness them and try frantically to capture the Northern Lights while being completely awestruck!

If you have done a little research beforehand, it may make you more relaxed and comfortable about capturing this natural phenomenon. Capturing the Aurora Borealis on your mobile phone will be difficult, however it has been done successfully many times. To give yourself the best chance of capturing a truly inspiring image is with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera which will enable you to fine tune the settings to accurately capture the Northern Lights spectacle.

The first thing to take into consideration is the darkness, if you are experiencing the Northern Lights, chances are you are parked up in your Camper Van remotely and in complete darkness. So have everything you will need ready and organised before, including warm clothes and a cup of Hot Chocolate!

Using a long exposure is great for stars, however the aurora is constantly moving or ‘dancing’ so you need to balance the two. As if the exposure is set too long it will look blurry and out of focus due to the movement. As a general guide, anything from 2 to 10 seconds should be enough to pick up lots of detail in both the aurora and the stars. You can make a quick judgement call, how much is it ‘dancing’? If you have time, try to capture it with different exposure times and compare the results afterwards.

Another important consideration is to have your lens open to its maximum aperture to allow the most amount of natural light into your camera. Setting your focus as far back as it can go may also improve your shot as everything from the foreground to the background will be in focus.

Have a play around with your camera settings while you wait and try to set up a baseline of what you think you are happy with. This will enable you to be organised and quickly get your first photograph and then allow you to alter your settings slightly if required.

We have linked below some useful websites to use when looking for the northern lights in Scotland, we hope you have a fantastic trip!

Aurora Watch UK

Service Aurora

Aurora Map