United Kingdom2,525 places
Northern Lights in United Kingdom: Where and When to See Them
In the north of United Kingdom the aurora is a regular sight on clear, dark nights — near Lerwick from about Kp 2.3. Near Lerwick, October has historically been the best month (13% of nights).
Featured destinations
Kp 3.7 Inverness
Scotland
Kp 3 Thurso
Scotland
Kp 3 Kirkwall
Scotland
Kp 2.3 Lerwick
Scotland
Kp 4 Aviemore
Scotland
Kp 3.7 Portree
Scotland
Where the aurora is easiest to see
| Place | Region | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Magnetic latitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lerwick | Scotland | 2.3 | 0.7 | 57.8° |
| Thurso | Scotland | 3 | 1.3 | 56.1° |
| Kirkwall | Scotland | 3 | 1.3 | 56.6° |
| Isle of Lewis | Scotland | 3.3 | 1.7 | 55.9° |
| Stornoway | Scotland | 3.3 | 1.7 | 55.9° |
| Wick | Scotland | 3.3 | 1.7 | 55.9° |
| Inverness | Scotland | 3.7 | 2 | 54.9° |
| Elgin | Scotland | 3.7 | 2 | 55.0° |
Largest cities
| Place | Population | Kp needed |
|---|---|---|
| London | 8,961,989 | 7.3 |
| Birmingham | 1,157,603 | 6.7 |
| Glasgow | 626,410 | 4.7 |
| Manchester | 568,996 | 6 |
| Sheffield | 556,500 | 6.3 |
| Leeds | 536,280 | 6 |
| Edinburgh | 514,990 | 4.7 |
| Liverpool | 496,770 | 6.3 |
Live sightings
Where visitors are reporting the aurora right now. A place climbs with every report and drops again as the reports age.
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Latest reports
Regions of United Kingdom
- EnglandKp 4.7+ · 795
- ScotlandKp 2.3+ · 263
- WalesKp 6+ · 35
- Northern IrelandKp 5+ · 57
Practical information for United Kingdom
- Emergency number
- 999 / 112
- Access to land
- In Scotland the Scottish Outdoor Access Code gives access rights over most land and inland water at any time of day or night (including responsible wild camping), provided you act responsibly and keep away from buildings; in England and Wales the CRoW Act right of access covers only mapped open access land, on foot, and excludes camping and driving unless the landowner allows it.
- Winter driving
- Winter tyres are not legally required anywhere in the UK (minimum tread 1.6 mm); check Traffic Scotland (trafficscotland.org) for Scottish trunk roads and National Highways for England's motorways and major A-roads. Road conditions
- Drones
- Drones of 250 g up to 25 kg need both a CAA Flyer ID (online theory test) and Operator ID, and from 1 January 2026 a Flyer ID is required for drones over 100 g; see https://www.caa.co.uk/drones/
- Official space-weather service
- Met Office Space Weather (incl. aurora forecast)
- Weather service
- Met Office
- Certified dark-sky places
- Tomintoul and Glenlivet – Cairngorms · Galloway Forest Park · Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water & Forest Park · North Ronaldsay · Isle of Coll
DarkSky International describes Tomintoul and Glenlivet – Cairngorms as the darkest Dark Sky Park in the UK and the most northerly in the world.
England/Wales open access land excludes land within 20 m of a dwelling, buildings, parks and gardens.
Compiled from official government, road-authority and weather-service sources. Rules change; check them before you travel.