Aurora Borealis in Scotland
United Kingdom · 56.04°, -3.92° · geomagnetic 58.4° · needs Kp 5
Tonight in Scotland
39%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Scotland needs Kp 5, and tonight the forecast peaks at Kp 5.7. That is on the threshold rather than over it, so cloud and moonlight will decide the night.
Updated 2026-08-02 20:20 UTC
The next 30 nights in Scotland
Every night to come, scored the same way as tonight. The best of the open week is Sunday 2 Aug at 39%. One of the seven reaches the Kp 5 that Scotland needs: Sunday 2 Aug, at Kp 5.7. The 23 nights past the seven-day window move with the 27-day solar rotation and are updated daily in the app.
Nights 8–30 unlock in the Revon app
See all 30 nights for Scotland
Revon aurora model over the NOAA Kp forecast and 27-day outlook
How often the aurora borealis reaches Scotland
22.6 nights a year, averaged across 10.0 years of records
| Storm level | Nights / year |
|---|---|
| Kp 4 | 83.4 |
| Kp 5 | 28.7 |
| Kp 6 | 9.3 |
| Kp 7 | 3.2 |
| Kp 8 | 1.2 |
NOAA planetary Kp, 2016-04-02 to 2026-03-30
Worth watching through the dark half of the year
Kp 5 is a moderate storm — not an everyday event, but common enough that a patient observer in Scotland sees the aurora borealis most winters.
Hours of true darkness, month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.9 | 10.3 | 8.1 | 4.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 7.0 | 9.6 | 11.5 | 12.3 |
Solar declination and hour angle at −18°
Nothing to see from May to July
Through those months the sun never falls more than 18° below the Scotland horizon, so the sky never darkens fully. Plan around the darker half of the year.
Getting clear of the light
With 3,187,724 people around you, the sky over central Scotland is Bortle 7. The glow hides anything but the brightest display, so the drive out matters more here than the forecast does.
- 24 km north-north-west — around Stirling → Bortle 5
- 31 km north-west — around Stirling → Bortle 4
Falchi 2016 World Atlas (DOI: 10.5880/GFZ.1.4.2016.001)
The months that actually deliver
Counting only nights that were both stormy enough and dark enough, September, March and October came out ahead in Scotland. That is storm season and darkness overlapping — the equinoxes tend to be geomagnetically active, and the nights are already long by then.
Darkest nights of the coming year
A bright moon washes out a weak display as effectively as street lighting. These new moons fall inside the Scotland viewing season.
- 13 Aug 2026
- 11 Sep 2026
- 11 Oct 2026
- 09 Nov 2026
- 09 Dec 2026
- 07 Jan 2027
- 06 Feb 2027
Where it is close to a certainty
Inverness is close enough to reach and return in a night — 161 km north — and needs only Kp 5.
| Scotland | Inverness | |
|---|---|---|
| Kp needed | 5 | 5 |
| Nights per year | 22.6 | 28.7 |
| Geomagnetic latitude | 58.4° | 59.8° |
Confirmed reports from this area
248 verified sightings were logged within 300 km of Scotland between 2015-01-01 and 2016-12-31. Rare is not the same as impossible.
Aurorasaurus verified positive reports
Where the horizon opens up near Scotland
The display sits low on the northern horizon, so what beats a better forecast is open ground facing that way. Height gets you above the town glow; water gives you an unbroken skyline. These are within a short drive of Scotland.
- Skea Craig — hill3.5 km west-north-west
- Lewis Hill — hill6.2 km north-west
- Inch — island9.7 km north-east
- Dumyat — mountain13.4 km north
- Sheriff Muir — moor18.1 km north
- Ben Cleuch — mountain18.7 km north-north-east
Places from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
What to do with the daylight
Aurora watching is a night job, and in winter that leaves a short, bright day to fill. Close to Scotland you will find Cambuskenneth Abbey, Stirling Transmitting Station and Stirling DGPS-Transmitter.
Keep the daylight loose: the sky decides the evening, and the forecast can turn within a few hours.
Places from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
Where to stay
Staying central in Scotland is fine for everything except the aurora itself — you will still need to drive out. If seeing it matters more than convenience, base yourself on the edge of town facing your dark spot.
- Hillhead Farm Lets - Guest House 4.7 km from the centre
- King Robert Hotel 6.0 km from the centre
- Barnsdale House 6.7 km from the centre
- Express By Holiday Inn Stirling 7.9 km from the centre
- Golden Lion Hotel Stirling 7.9 km from the centre
- Barcelo Stirling Highland Hotel 9.0 km from the centre
Places from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — confirm before booking
The last nights it was visible here
Nights in the last decade when the storm was strong enough for Scotland and the sky was dark enough to show it.
| Date | Peak |
|---|---|
| 2026-03-24 | Kp 5.0 |
| 2026-03-23 | Kp 5.0 |
| 2026-03-22 | Kp 6.67 |
| 2026-03-21 | Kp 6.0 |
| 2026-03-20 | Kp 7.0 |
NOAA planetary Kp
Aurora forecasts across Scotland
All 59 places in Scotland with a forecast page, and the Kp each one needs.
- AberdeenKp 5
- AirdrieKp 5
- AlloaKp 5
- ArbroathKp 5
- AyrKp 7
- BarrheadKp 5
- BathgateKp 5
- BearsdenKp 5
- BellshillKp 5
- BishopbriggsKp 5
- BlantyreKp 5
- BonnyriggKp 5
- BroxburnKp 5
- CambuslangKp 5
- ClydebankKp 5
- CoatbridgeKp 5
- CumbernauldKp 5
- DalserfKp 5
- DumbartonKp 5
- DumfriesKp 7
- DundeeKp 5
- DunfermlineKp 5
- East KilbrideKp 5
- EdinburghKp 5
- ElginKp 5
- ErskineKp 5
- FalkirkKp 5
- GlasgowKp 5
- GlenrothesKp 5
- GrangemouthKp 5
- GreenockKp 5
- HamiltonKp 5
- High BlantyreKp 5
- InvernessKp 5
- IrvineKp 5
- Isle of LewisKp 5
- JohnstoneKp 5
- KilmarnockKp 5
- KilwinningKp 5
- KirkcaldyKp 5
- KirkintillochKp 5
- LarkhallKp 5
- LivingstonKp 5
- Meikle EarnockKp 5
- MotherwellKp 5
- MusselburghKp 5
- Newton MearnsKp 5
- PaisleyKp 5
- PenicuikKp 5
- PerthKp 5
- PeterheadKp 5
- Port GlasgowKp 5
- RenfrewKp 5
- RutherglenKp 5
- Saint AndrewsKp 5
- StirlingKp 5
- Vale of LevenKp 5
- ViewparkKp 5
- WishawKp 5
Know when it is worth going outside
Revon watches the Scotland forecast and pushes an alert when the odds for tonight clear your threshold — no checking, no guessing.
Common questions about the aurora borealis in Scotland
Can you see the aurora borealis from Scotland?
Yes. On the last 10.0 years of NOAA Kp records, Scotland had about 22.6 nights a year when the storm was strong enough and the sky dark enough at the same time.
What Kp index do you need to see the aurora borealis in Scotland?
Kp 5. Scotland sits at geomagnetic latitude 58.4°, and the auroral oval only reaches that far from the pole once activity hits Kp 5. Storms that size occur about 28.7 nights a year.
When is the best time of year to see the aurora borealis in Scotland?
September, March and October. Those months scored highest once both conditions are counted together: geomagnetic activity and enough hours of real darkness. From May to July the sky over Scotland never gets fully dark, so nothing is visible however strong the storm.
Where can you escape the light pollution near Scotland?
The centre of Scotland reads Bortle 7. The nearest sky at Bortle 4 is about 31 km north-west around Stirling. On a marginal night that drive matters more than the forecast does.
Where is the nearest place to Scotland with reliable aurora borealis?
Inverness, United Kingdom — 161 km north. It needs only Kp 5 and averages 28.7 viable nights a year against 22.6 in Scotland.
Nearby towns
Forecasts for places within reach of Scotland.