Live aurora forecast
Northern lights Scotland tonight
Scotland spans from Shetland at 61°N - where Kp 2 is enough - down to Galloway at 55°N needing Kp 4-5. The north-west Highlands, Hebrides, and Northern Isles are some of the most accessible dark-sky aurora locations in Europe. Select a location for a local forecast and dark sky guide.
Aurora forecast - Scotland
Low chance tonight
Kp 1 is below the threshold for Scotland's most favourable locations. Activity would need to rise before aurora becomes visible.
Current Kp
1
of 9
7-day outlook for Scotland
Today
19 May
Tomorrow
20 May
Thu
21 May
Fri
22 May
Sat
23 May
Sun
24 May
Mon
25 May
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours. Badges show the best-case location in Scotland.
Aurora visibility by Scottish location
Shetland Islands
Northernmost UK islands - Kp 2 from Eshaness and Ronas Hill
Orkney Islands
Dark-sky archipelago - Kp 3 from Hoy and Birsay
Isle of Lewis
Butt of Lewis and Callanish Standing Stones
Inverness
Highland capital - Kp 3 from the Black Isle coast and Loch Ness
Scottish Highlands
Glen Affric, Torridon, Assynt - remote dark sky glens
North Coast 500
Durness, Strathy Point - north-coast dark sky circuit
Outer Hebrides
Callanish, Luskentyre - Bortle Class 1-2 Atlantic coast
Isle of Skye
Neist Point and the Trotternish peninsula
Fort William
Great Glen and Nevis range - Kp 3-4
Cairngorms
Plateau at 1 000 m - Tomintoul, Loch Morlich, Bortle 2
Aberdeen
North-east coast - Kp 3-4 from Forvie and Muchalls
Dundee
Angus coast, north-facing dark sky at Kp 4
Stirling
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs on the doorstep
Edinburgh
Pentland Hills and East Lothian coast at Kp 4
Glasgow
Loch Lomond dark sky 30 minutes north
Argyll
Kilmartin Glen, Loch Awe, Sound of Jura
Dumfries & Galloway
Gateway to Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park
Galloway Forest
UK's first Dark Sky Park - IDA Gold Tier, Kp 4
Best time to see the northern lights in Scotland
Scotland's best aurora locations sit at high magnetic latitude where the auroral oval is overhead for much of the year. Meaningful darkness returns in late August and displays are possible on almost any clear night from September through March.
Scotland aurora at a glance
Scotland has more aurora potential than anywhere else in the British Isles. The Northern Isles sit at magnetic latitudes comparable to southern Norway: Shetland at 61°N needs Kp 2 - geomagnetic activity that occurs on roughly 100 nights per year during solar maximum. Orkney at 59°N needs Kp 3. The Highland coast, Hebrides, and Cairngorms plateau at 57-58°N sit just below that threshold, needing Kp 3-4.
The north-west Highlands - Torridon, Assynt, the North Coast 500 route - combine dark sky quality with dramatic north-facing terrain. Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park in the south is the UK's first International Dark Sky Park, with a Gold Tier designation and near-Bortle 2 skies. Edinburgh and Glasgow can see aurora at Kp 4, which occurs several dozen times per year. Scotland's main limiting factor is cloud cover: the Atlantic weather system brings overcast periods, particularly in the west. Check the Met Office cloud forecast before travelling.
Related pages
Northern Lights Scotland Guide
Complete travel guide - locations, Kp thresholds, when to go.
How to Plan a Northern Lights Trip
Complete planning guide - destination, timing, packing, and expectations.
Northern Lights Norway
Compare with Norway aurora thresholds from Tromsø to Oslo.
Northern Lights Iceland
Iceland - Kp 2-3 from most of the island.
What Is the Kp Index?
How the Kp scale determines aurora visibility.
Scotland Aurora Photography Locations
The best locations in Scotland to photograph the northern lights.
Common questions
Northern lights in Scotland - thresholds, best locations, and what to expect.
