Planning a stay at Loch Lomond Waterfront is the perfect choice if you’re looking to see the Northern Lights in Scotland. Our luxurious accommodations and stunning surroundings make for an ideal base as you chase this incredible natural phenomenon.
What are the Northern Lights?
The Northern Lights or aurora borealis are a natural light display that occurs near the Earth’s poles. They result from particles charged by the sun colliding with Earth’s upper atmosphere along magnetic lines, creating a colourful show in the sky with shades of green, purple and red. These auroras include the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) and the aurora australis (Southern Lights).
Chasing the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights are unpredictable but there are ways to increase your chances of seeing them. Check the aurora forecast on websites like AuroraWatch UK and SpaceWeatherLive, which provide real-time updates on aurora activity. Once you have a good forecast, make sure to wrap up warmly. The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park can be very cold, especially during the winter months when the Northern Lights are most active. Layer up with a warm coat, hat, gloves and boots to stay cosy while waiting for the lights. Afterwards, you can warm up with a whisky in your lodge.
Finding the perfect location
To see the Northern Lights you need to find a dark location away from light pollution. Luckily for you, many of the skies above Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park are known as dark skies. There’s a higher chance of seeing the Northern Lights during the winter months when the nights are longer and darker. Winter is also the best time to go stargazing in Scotland when the nights are darker for longer. Between October and March, when the clocks go back for winter, is a good rule of thumb.
How to photograph the Northern Lights
Nighttime photography can be challenging, but capturing the Northern Lights is possible even with a mobile phone. Hold your phone in landscape mode, turn off the flash and select night mode. Make the picture as large as your phone allows and set the exposure time between 2 and 15 seconds.
Seeing the Northern Lights in Loch Lomond is a magical experience and staying at Loch Lomond Waterfront makes it even better. Our luxury waterside accommodations offer the perfect retreat after a night of aurora-watching. With plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants nearby, you’ll have everything you need for a fantastic holiday. Winter is the best time to enjoy our hot tubs, even though it’s cold outside, a warm bath of bubbles with a glass of fizz is just heaven. Check our availability and book your chalet or lodge today.
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