Where can I see the Northern Lights in Scotland this weekend?

Aurora borealis is expected to light up the sky in Scotland this weekend, illuminating areas of the country in pink and green.

According to meteorologists, the phenomenon, also known as the Northern Lights, will be visible mainly in the very far north of Scotland.

With cloud expected on Friday, the Met Office said Saturday night has the greatest likelihood of aurora being visible across the UK.

Meanwhile, the lights could continue into Monday night for northern parts.

Experts advise staying away from streetlights and using a camera to help improve your chances of seeing the auroras, with cameras better able to adapt to different wavelengths than our eyes.

The lights are unlikely to be visible until it gets very dark.

Remote, open areas with views of the northern horizon are best.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating colourful displays in the sky.

In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.

When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area, which explains why displays can occasionally be seen as far south as the UK.

The Met Office said: “Aurora activity is expected to increase this weekend, leading to aurora potentially being visible across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England where skies are clear.

“Saturday night has the greatest likelihood of aurora being visible, with a chance that aurora may be visible further south, across central England and similar latitudes.

“Enhancement to the aurora may persist at higher latitudes throughout the remainder of the outlook period.”

Insight Philip Petrie STV News Weather Presenter

There has been a lot of solar activity in the past 24 hours, with a couple of solar flares being recorded in the past few days.

This means there is an enhanced aurora over the weekend, with a higher chance of seeing the northern lights – most visible under any clear skies across the very far north of Scotland.

However there is a reasonable amount of cloud around through Friday and Saturday night so it might be a bit too cloudy.

Monday night looks like the best night for spotting the Northern Lights, and there is a signal for further solar flares next week giving us further chances of spotting them.