The Northern Lights (Aurora borealis) are basically electric particles hurled from the Sun to Earth on solar winds, which are then drawn to the magnetic North. They’re a fantastic splash of vivid and bright colors, normally green, which moves constantly in the night sky. It’s a phenomenon that only happens in 11-year cycles. The next cycle begins around 2013.

The Aurora is most visible at latitudes higher than 65 degrees north. The places to go in Scotland to see them are on the most northerly points of the mainland and also on Orkney and Shetland.

It’s generally easier to see them in the countryside, away from the glow of the street lights. The Aurora is best seen on crisp, clear evenings, when the nights are longer and darker. It’s also possible to see them during the summer too.