I spent hours on Calton Hill trying to see the Northern Lights but it was more like a Club 18-30 holiday

Aurora borealis never showed up - but a sizable portion of the city’s population certainly did

Like many in Edinburgh, I woke up on Saturday to find the previous night had produced one of the most spectacular skies to grace the capital in decades. 

Stunning pictures capturing the green shades and pink highlights of the aurora borealis were shared by news outlets and circulated on social - some capturing rural scenes others featuring Auld Reekie landmarks with an astonishingly unique backdrop. 

Hundreds of people visited Calton Hill on Saturday night to see the Northern Lights

Flicking through the work of amateur and professional photographers, I was kicking myself for not venturing out the previous evening, but there was reportedly a second chance to witness the geomagnetic storms in all their glory on Saturday night.

Although there was no guarantee - with a caveat being solar activity would not be as strong as Friday and there was the potential that clouds would ruin everything - the possibility to witness similar remarkable skies was enticing. 

But arriving at Calton Hill around 11.20pm it became apparent there was much more human activity than there was solar storm activity.

The Friends of Calton Hill group recorded 93 cars at the top of the historic site

Stargazers and photographers were in the minority, or at least it appeared that way with a plethora of lights emitting from the abundance of cars parked at the top of the hill. Friends of Calton Hill group reported there were around 93 vehicles up there that evening at around 11pm. 

Some drivers thought blasting cringey pop music from their boy racer cars added to the experience though I’m fairly certain many others didn’t feel that way. And then there was the questionable locations some of these cars were parked, with some opting to park diagonally on the grass to produce their own light and music show, perhaps in a bid to emulate scenes out of a R&B video. Ah…to be young.

People waited long into the night to catch a glimpse of aurora borealis

Hundreds of people could be seen attempting to find the glowing pinks and greens through their phone screens as the night got darker. But although phones and cameras were able to reveal more light, there were too many clouds above the capital for the remarkable colours to shine through. 

That being said, despite a lack of visible geomagnetic storms in the sky, there was still an electric current in the air. I would estimate around 1,500 people ventured up Calton Hill that evening to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights that never came, although some people have posted pictures from around 3.20am that show aurora borealis - albeit not quite as dramatic as the previous evening. 

I walked around the site three or four times, squeezing through crowds around all the famous spots before heading into the quieter parts of Calton Hill to try my luck at seeing the cosmic marvel. The warm temperatures and mass crowds did create an exciting festival-like undercurrent to the evening, and although the weather conditions deprived everyone of the spectacular scenes - there is never a bad view from Calton Hill.   

People could be found at all corners of Calton Hill

People could be found at every corner of the historic site - some sitting on the National Monument of Scotland, many perching themselves on the walls surrounding the Collective art gallery and several hundred others scattered around, bringing blankets and making a cosy setting under the stars.

Traffic continued on the road leading to the top of the hill throughout the night - with several taxis also being ordered to the landmark. I left around 12.40am but the night was still in full swing at that time.  

The night was vibrant and electrifying, with a shared anticipation to see something special together. But what should have been a quiet night of stargazing did become more reminiscent of a Club 18-30 holiday.