Northern Lights Edinburgh: Local beauty spot named amongst 7 best UK locations to see the Northern Lights

Edinburgh location among the places where you have a chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis

Seven of the UK’s best places to see the Northern Lights this winter have been revealed – with one Edinburgh beauty spot getting a place on the list.

Also known as the Aurora Borealis, catching a glimpse of these celestial wonders is often on many people’s bucket lists, and while it’s rare to spot them in the UK, Arthur’s Seat is the place to be, according to a new report.

If an aurora is strong, the Northern Lights can occasionally be seen in the Capital. As well as Arthur's Seat, other vantage points in Edinburgh include Calton Hill and Blackford Hill. Staying up into the wee small hours will increase your chances of a sighting.

Seven of the UK’s best places to see the Northern Lights this winter have been revealed – with one Edinburgh beauty spot getting a place on the list.

Tim Alcock, motoring expert from LeaseCar.uk, who shared the findings, said: “The Northern Lights can only be described as one of the most beautiful sights to ever lay your eyes on.

“While you can’t just look out of your window and hope the lights will appear, there are some locations in the UK that have higher chances of them showing such as Wales, the Shetland Islands and Yorkshire.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience witnessing the Northern Lights so we highly recommend making the most of the darker nights to view the breathtaking display.”

Explaining what the lights are, Professor Don Pollacco, department of physics at the University of Warwick, said: “The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are caused by the interaction of particles coming from the sun, the solar wind, with the Earth’s atmosphere – channelled to the polar regions by the Earth’s magnetic field.

“It’s actually a bit like iron filings and the field of a bar magnetic. The solar wind contains more particles when there are sun spots, as these are regions on the sun’s surface where the magnetic field is interacting with the plasma in the Sun, and the particles can be released.

“Once the particles are channelled into the Earth’s atmosphere they interact with molecules and have distinctive colours (eg oxygen molecules produce green light, nitrogen red light etc) and patterns such as light emissions that look like curtains or spotlights. These shapes change quickly over timescales of minutes/seconds.”

Here are seven places where you have a chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the UK, according to LeaseCar.uk

Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

Arthur’s Hill is an extinct volcano that’s located in Holyrood Park. It’s one of the most popular spots in Scotland for people to go hiking. Be prepared for a steep walk to the summit as it can take almost two hours to reach the peak. If you end up missing the Northern Lights, you’ll still get to witness a breathtaking view of Edinburgh.

Lake District, Cumbria

The Northern Lights have been spotted in the heart of the Lake District. The clear skies over Cumbria will make it easier to spot the lights and witness a starry night. Grizedale Forest has been named one of the best spots to get a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis.

Isle of Anglesey, Wales

The largest island in Wales will likely host the Northern Lights over winter as they’ve been consistently on display over the last few years. They’ve also been spotted in Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire.

Shetland Islands, Scotland

The greenish, purple glow is likely to be spotted in the Shetland Islands. It’s one of the most likely places to spot them throughout the whole of winter, but make sure to visit when it’s a clear night sky.

Donegal, Northern Ireland

Donegal has been named one of the best places in Northern Ireland to get a clear view of the Aurora Borealis. The chances of spotting them are better when there’s no rain and the moon is shining brightly.

Whitley Bay, North Tyneside

The Northern Lights were not long spotted in Whitley Bay back in October 2023, with photos being taken near St Mary’s LightHouse. They’ll likely make an appearance once again and will be easier to spot as the nights draw in earlier.

Sandsend, Yorkshire

Yorkshire has been treated to the Northern Lights in early December with photos being taken from back gardens. The lack of street lights in Sandsend makes it easier to spot the colourful lights without them being covered by artificial lighting.