Northern lights in Fort Augustus tonight

The south shore of Loch Ness between Fort Augustus and Dores runs along the B852 and B862 through the forest. Inverfarigaig, midway along the loch, has a Forestry Commission car park on the water's edge with a north-facing view directly across the 1.5 km width. The loch surface provides a reflection band that extends the effective horizon. No settlement lies on the north shore between Fort Augustus and Dores, and the forest behind suppresses any sky glow from Inverness to the northeast. Bortle Class 2 from the lochside positions. The road is narrow in sections but paved throughout; drive carefully after dark.

The A82 lay-by north of Invermoriston village looks across Loch Ness toward the open Highland interior. At this point the loch is at its widest section and the north shore carries no artificial lighting. The village of Invermoriston is small enough that its lights do not affect the northern horizon from the lay-by positions 500 m north of the bridge. Bortle Class 2 throughout. The Great Glen Way path above the village gives additional elevation above the A82 corridor, and the trees thin out on the higher ground to give a broader sky arc. This is the most accessible dark sky position from Fort Augustus without driving south along the loch.

The Corrieyairack Pass military road climbs from Fort Augustus southwest toward the Monadh Liath hills. The lower track, accessible by car to the first gate at around 350 m altitude, gives open north-facing sky across the Great Glen with Fort Augustus's lights falling below the ridge. The high plateau above is a designated wild land area with Bortle Class 1-2 conditions but requires a serious hill walk and is not accessible at night without experience. The lower gate access gives Class 2 and a genuine horizon improvement over town positions, achievable in 15 minutes from the Fort Augustus car parks. Take a torch; the track surface is rough gravel.