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Northern lights North Coast 500 tonight

Scotland's north coast route passes through some of the best aurora-viewing terrain in mainland Britain. At 58-58.6°N geographic latitude, Balnakeil Bay and Strathy Point need only Kp 3 - one of the lowest thresholds on the British mainland.

Aurora visibility - North Coast 500

Unlikely tonight

Kp 1 is well below the Kp 3 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from North Coast 500.

Current Kp

of 9

Threshold for North Coast 500: Kp 3 Magnetic latitude: ~58°N Updated: 19 May, 12:02 UTC

↓ Bz — nT Solar wind — km/s Density — p/cm³ ☁ —%

Conditions right now: — Kp + Bz + solar wind + cloud + moon

7-day outlook for North Coast 500

Today

19 May

Quiet

Tomorrow

20 May

Quiet

Thu

21 May

Quiet

Fri

22 May

Quiet

Sat

23 May

Quiet

Sun

24 May

Quiet

Mon

25 May

Quiet

Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.

What Kp is needed here?

North Coast 500 sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 58°N. The Kp index - a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours - needs to reach Kp 3 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.

At Kp 3, visibility is possible from North Coast 500 but skies need to be clear and dark. Cloud cover and light pollution remain the main obstacles even when Kp is high enough.

Best dark sky sites near North Coast 500

Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.

Durness - Balnakeil Bay

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Bortle Class 2 - Excellent dark sky 100 km from Inverness - approximately 2 hour drive

Balnakeil Bay at the westernmost point of the north coast faces directly north over open Atlantic water. The beach itself is flat and unlit, with no dwellings to the north. On a clear night, this is one of the best positions in mainland Scotland. The small settlement of Durness has minimal lighting and the road ends at Balnakeil - nothing further west.

Smoo Cave and Durness coast

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Bortle Class 2 - Excellent dark sky 98 km from Inverness - approximately 1 hour 55 minute drive

The coastal stretch between Durness and Tongue has a succession of small beaches facing north with Bortle 2 sky. Smoo Cave bay is accessible via a short path and offers a north-facing coastal position with the cave as foreground. The A838 along this section has multiple lay-bys giving safe roadside viewing.

Strathy Point

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Bortle Class 1-2 - Exceptional dark sky 115 km from Inverness - approximately 2 hour 15 minute drive

A remote headland jutting north into the Pentland Firth, with the Scottish mainland's north coast falling away on three sides. The headland has a small lighthouse and no other habitation. It is one of the closest mainland positions to Orkney and sits at approximately 58.6°N geographic latitude. Dark in all directions - one of the best dark sky headlands on the mainland.

Tongue - Kyle of Tongue estuary

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Bortle Class 2 - Excellent dark sky 90 km from Inverness - approximately 1 hour 45 minute drive

The causeway across the Kyle of Tongue gives a wide open north-facing view over the estuary and out to sea. Ben Loyal rises to the south as a dramatic foreground. The village of Tongue is small with minimal lighting. The north-facing beach at the mouth of the Kyle, accessed from the village, is a particularly good position.

Best time to see the northern lights in North Coast 500

North Coast 500's aurora season runs from late September through to March, when nights are long enough for truly dark skies. The equinox months, September and March, bring a natural boost in geomagnetic activity, making them statistically the best of the season. Summer months bring too much twilight for aurora to be visible at this latitude.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Activity peaks around the September and March equinoxes, when Earth's magnetic field geometry is most favourable for coupling with the solar wind. Events during these two windows tend to produce the strongest displays of the year for observers at North Coast 500's latitude.

April through August brings persistent astronomical twilight that washes out aurora completely. Even strong events (Kp 6+) remain invisible during this period because the sky never gets dark enough.

Other Scottish aurora locations

← Scotland aurora hub

Scottish Highlands

Unlikely

Glen Affric, Torridon, Assynt — remote Bortle 2 glens

~58°N mag. lat. Kp 3-4

Inverness

Unlikely

Highland capital, dark-sky glens nearby

~58°N mag. lat. Kp 3-4

Orkney Islands

Unlikely

Dark-sky archipelago north of mainland Scotland

~59°N mag. lat. Kp 3-4

Scotland Aurora Hub

All Scottish aurora locations with live forecast.

Scottish Highlands Aurora Guide

Glen Affric, Torridon, and Assynt - Highland dark sky spots.

Northern Lights Inverness Tonight

Inverness aurora forecast and nearest dark sky sites.

Northern Lights Orkney Islands

Orkney - Kp 3 from Hoy, Birsay, and Yesnaby.

Tips for Viewing the Northern Lights

Dark sites, timing, and what to look for on a clear night.

Northern Lights Bucket List

The North Coast 500 aurora road trip is one of the world's top 12 aurora experiences.

Common questions

Aurora on the North Coast 500 - best spots, Kp thresholds, and when to go.

Is the North Coast 500 good for seeing the northern lights?

Yes - the north coast route passes through some of the best aurora-viewing terrain in mainland Britain. The coast between Durness and Thurso sits at 58-58.6°N geographic latitude and faces directly north over the Pentland Firth and Atlantic. Light pollution is negligible across most of the route. Kp 3 is enough from Durness and Strathy Point - one of the lowest thresholds on the British mainland.

What is the Kp threshold for the North Coast 500?

Kp 3 from the best positions - Balnakeil Bay at Durness, Strathy Point, and Tongue. At Kp 3, aurora will typically appear low on the northern horizon as a pale glow, more obvious through a camera than with the naked eye. At Kp 4-5, it rises higher and becomes clearly visible. Kp 3 events occur roughly 50-80 nights per year during solar maximum, though cloud cover limits the number of viable viewing nights.

Where exactly on the North Coast 500 is best for aurora?

Balnakeil Bay near Durness is the standout position - it faces directly north with no light pollution in any direction and sits at the western end of the north coast. Strathy Point is the other exceptional site: a north-pointing headland at 58.6°N with 270-degree open sky. Tongue's causeway and Kyle estuary give a wider scenic foreground. All of these are within a few hours of Inverness via the A9 and A836.

When is the best time to drive the North Coast 500 for aurora?

September to March is the window when nights are long enough and dark enough. October and March are statistically the most active months geomagnetically. Avoid June and July - nights on the north coast barely get dark at this latitude. Plan for clear nights during forecast Kp 3+ events. The route is driveable in a day from Inverness but slow in darkness - consider basing yourself at Durness or Tongue for one or two nights rather than driving at night on single-track roads.

How far is the North Coast 500 from Inverness for aurora chasing?

Durness is approximately 100 km and 2 hours from Inverness via the A835 and A838. Strathy Point is around 115 km and 2 hours 15 minutes. These are not quick trips - the A838 is single-track in places. For a same-night aurora chase from Inverness, Glen Affric (35 minutes) or the Black Isle coast (20 minutes) give dark sky with less travel. The north coast is better suited to an overnight stay.

Northern lights North Coast 500 tonight

7-day outlook for North Coast 500

What Kp is needed here?

Best dark sky sites near North Coast 500

Best time to see the northern lights in North Coast 500

Other Scottish aurora locations

Related pages

Common questions

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