Northern Lights (1 Viewer)

[Baycott]

Before it's too late for this year, we are thinking of a trip to Scotland to see the Northern Lights. Can anybody (@irnbru ?) give me an idea where and when is the best place to see this spectacle? I know it is heavily dependant on the weather but we would like to take the chance and try and see it this year.

TIA
John

 

[funflair]

Awaiting a response as we would like to see them as well.

Martin

 

[DavidG58]

I wish you the very best of luck John, I have tried a few times and failed, even when 'visible' from the UK it is often just as a green glow not the dancing lights I suspect you might hope to see

I subscribe to aurora watch https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/

they are also on FB, get alerts through them by email for amber and rare red alerts

I am yet to find a site with pitches facing the right direction, (north / north east) you are told you need to be dark (no streetlights) and ideally at some elevation

so it all depends on what facilities you would like while you wait

In my travels Jan 2015 I went to Lossiemouth and decided that would be an excellent place to pitch and hope

but I have not tried since, you should maybe join us on our trip to Norway early September this year

nearly as close for you to drive there

I would do some reading, UK sightings of any worth are a real rarity

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[Baileysbus]

Away from street lights in towns and the further north the better. I have seen them from inverness but I think you'd stand more of a chance up in Caithness

 

[Baycott]

I wish you the very best of luck John, I have tried a few times and failed, even when 'visible' from the UK it is often just as a green glow not the dancing lights I suspect you might hope to see

I subscribe to aurora watch https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/

they are also on FB, get alerts through them by email for amber and rare red alerts

I am yet to find a site with pitches facing the right direction, (north / north east) you are told you need to be dark (no streetlights) and ideally at some elevation

so it all depends on what facilities you would like while you wait

In my travels Jan 2015 I went to Lossiemouth and decided that would be an excellent place to pitch and hope


View attachment 146010

but I have not tried since, you should maybe join us on our trip to Norway early September this year

nearly as close for you to drive there

I would do some reading, UK sightings of any worth are a real rarity

Thanks for that David. We will probably wild camp so sites with wrong facing pithes are not a worry . I have signed up to Aurora Watch and on FB. I will bear your trip to Norway in mind and see what we are doing nearer the time

 

[Garfields]

Elgin last week
Not my photo

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[DavidG58]

Elgin last week
Not my photo

this is the kind of 'bait' I chase around after, suspect this is a classic 'seen by camera only'

not quite sure what the camera does to see things so differently but really frustrating

a family member went to Alaska a couple, of years ago, hired a Winnebago went off into the wilds, had thought they might get a sighting but far from guaranteed, woke up one night needing a pee, decided to save the loo capacity and went outside (as we do) opened eyes half way through pee and bellowed to Annie (his wife) to 'get out here', he then went in woke her and asked her nicely

they had 20 minutes of full on dancing aurora, kept saying we really need a coat on but this might stop, eventually went in for coats and came out to watch the rest I reckon we need to head a long way north to really see these properly

 

[Fellraven]

http://www.shetland.org/60n/webcams/cliff-cam-3

Theres a cliff camera on Shetland pointing north. If Aurora watch says there's activity its worth a look. Ive seen it here in Cumbria but the chance of it being strong enough and cloud free is rare.

 

[Chris Laing]

I live south of Edinburgh and was able to see that last week through the cloud. First time we've seen it the far south.

Elgin last week
Not my photo

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[Dave K]

We would love to see that, it must be quite surreal, mind you we've been to Scotland 3 times now looking for any sort of wildlife or sea life and have failed miserably, we're hoping our next trip in April will be the one!

 

[pappajohn]

Shirl wasn't taking chances....She flew to Tromso, Norway.
Still had to drive well over 100 miles into the wilderness to be sure of seeing them, one night even into finland.
No light pollution whatsoever when you're that far from civilisation.

 

[ambulancekidd]

I'd have a look on the "Space Weather" website. They'll send email alerts when an Aurora is due, its really American based but still quite accurate. I live right on the edge of the "Galloway Forest Park" dark skies area & we quite often get spectacular aurora's, we haven't seen any recently, but not really been looking.

Fingers crossed that you succeed in your quest.

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

We've never been lucky enough to see them anywhere! Though we've tried !
We were once up at Tan Hill inn . We been out walking most of the day, had something to eat in the evening and a few beers. Then went back to the old mh to sleep. Seemingly the Northern lights had been out whilst we were in the mh. Snoozing away......
it was on calendar news when we got home.
We've been told though, that most of the time you see the spectacular photos, that they've been touched up , and in real life it's not as WOW. Ralph wants to go to Norway on a special trip to see them. But of course even then it's not guaranteed.

 

[pappajohn]

We've been told though, that most of the time you see the spectacular photos, that they've been touched up

I tend to agree.
This couple were taken with a high end Canon SLR digital camera on a tripod with a very slow shutter.

 

[pappajohn]

Two of the many requirements to see the lights.....clear sky and very dark.

This was Tromso at lunchtime so you can imagine how dark it was late at night !

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[Dizzy Izzy]

We were in Iceland last week,this was taken Sun evening approx 90mins out of Reykjavik.The Aurora Alert App had given a level 4 alert for that night.(We spent a week in Lapland last January and didn't get to see them despite conditions being good and being in a dark sky area)

 

[WillH]

We live in Stranraer in the most southerly part of Scotland and see the lights occasionally when conditions are right. The Galloway Forest Park mentioned above is not far from us and further North.

 

[Neilfg]

I'd have a look on the "Space Weather" website. They'll send email alerts when an Aurora is due, its really American based but still quite accurate. I live right on the edge of the "Galloway Forest Park" dark skies area & we quite often get spectacular aurora's, we haven't seen any recently, but not really been looking.

Fingers crossed that you succeed in your quest.

Is there a place to camp that you are aware of in the Galloway Forest Park?

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[bigtwin]

The Northern Lights are one of nature's great wonders and consider myself privileged to have seen them a total of 3 times in the 22 years that I lived in the north of Scotland (in parts that most on here would consider the far north of Scotland). Even if discount my junior years, that's quite a low strike rate.

They are a sight to behold and, unfortunately, make an appearance only relatively infrequently. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but some realism is required on the likelihood of a 'visitor' to the North being lucky enough to experience this most magical of wonders. By all means live in hope but not expectation.

Happy hunting!

Ian

 

[CWH]

This is from our neighbour's B&B website, all photos taken by David - they've only been there 15 months so a good chance from here!
http://www.foxwoodonskye.co.uk/the-northern-lights

 

[ambulancekidd]

Is there a place to camp that you are aware of in the Galloway Forest Park?

The Otter Pool on The Raiders Road is quite good for wilding, Loch Doon just outside Dalmellington has a little campsite with electric hookup & there is an observatory (Craigengillen Estate) nearby which has special evenings for all sorts of stellar events. Even wild camping at the southern end of the loch is very pleasant, but beware, after mid May the midges can be horrendous lol. The Caravan Club CL (called Brough) near New Galloway has mains electricity & a decent little toilet block is perfectly within the Dark Skies area, the CC also has a small site called Blowplain nearby which is suitably placed for aurora watching.
I'm sure that there are plenty more but the one's that I've mentioned are the only ones that I've actually tried.
Hope this is helpful, if you need to know more, just ask.

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[Dave K]

According to Aurora watch they will be visible tonight in Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of Northern England, don't shoot the messenger though!

 

[Debs]

I was really surprised to hear an interview on the farming programme the other week about the National Trust farm on The Great Orme. It was mentioned that the lights are visible from there at times.

 

[Dave K]

There was a picture of the northern lights on Facebook taken on Skye last night, looked stunning

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