Tonight
Oct 28 - Oct 29
- 10 °C
96 percent cloud cover - 10 °C95 percent cloud cover
- 10 °C
19 percent cloud cover
Northern Lights Forecast for Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
55°57′11.9″N ⋅ 3°11′17.9″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
Can you see the Northern Lights in Edinburgh tonight?
No significant aurora activity is expected in Edinburgh over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 18:01 to 05:50 local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 85%.
Aurora Forecast for Edinburgh
Today at 18:00
No activity
Cloud Cover:86%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Edinburgh
| Local time | Aurora activity |
|---|---|
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity |
3-Night Weather Forecast for Edinburgh
%22%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22currentColor%22%20d%3D%22M12.262%2045.52h29.086c7.43%200%2013.172-5.626%2013.172-12.82c0-7.29-6-12.75-13.946-12.68c-3-6.047-8.507-9.54-15-9.54c-8.648%200-15.937%206.82-16.617%2015.563c-4.547%201.242-7.477%205.063-7.477%209.68c0%205.812%204.36%209.797%2010.782%209.797%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E){kind=small}
Tomorrow night
Oct 29 - Oct 30
- 10 °C
63 percent cloud cover - 8 °C88 percent cloud cover
- 9 °C97 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Oct 30 - Oct 31
- 9 °C55 percent cloud cover
- 8 °C71 percent cloud cover
- 8 °C89 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 18:01 to 05:50 (11 h 49 min)
Current Moon
Waning Gibbous
91% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Edinburgh
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Today. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 92% illumination | Thursday, October 29, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 85% illumination | Friday, October 30, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 76% illumination | Saturday, October 31, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 2 out of 10. Last quarter, 65% illumination | Sunday, November 1, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Last quarter, 54% illumination | ||
Monday, November 2, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 43% illumination | Tuesday, November 3, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 32% illumination | Wednesday, November 4, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 23% illumination | Thursday, November 5, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 14% illumination | Friday, November 6, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 8% illumination | Saturday, November 7, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Sunday, November 8, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination |
Monday, November 9, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Tuesday, November 10, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Wednesday, November 11, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 5% illumination | Thursday, November 12, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 10% illumination | Friday, November 13, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 16% illumination | Saturday, November 14, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 23% illumination | Sunday, November 15, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 32% illumination |
Monday, November 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 41% illumination | Tuesday, November 17, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. First quarter, 50% illumination | Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. First quarter, 60% illumination | Thursday, November 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 70% illumination | Friday, November 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 79% illumination | Saturday, November 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Sunday, November 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 94% illumination |
Monday, November 23, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Tuesday, November 24, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination |
LowAurora ActivityHigh
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Edinburgh
The aurora season in Edinburgh runs from mid-July to late May, when the nights get dark. The aurora is rare in Edinburgh: your best chances are in October.
- Dark hours
- Chance of aurora
Long-term averages for clear nights, since 1985. Geomagnetic data: GFZ, CC BY 4.0
Every night of 2026 in Edinburgh, January at the top: how long it's dark, and the chance of aurora on a clear night.
Northern Lights in Edinburgh
Edinburgh lies on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, with the Pentland Hills to the south-west. The north edge of the city is a coastline looking north over open water, so you can put the lights of half a million people behind you without leaving town. The aurora is rare here: on an active night a pale arc or a red tint can show low over the Forth from a dark shore, and a display you will clearly see with your eyes needs a G1 minor storm or stronger. The same storms reach Glasgow, an hour west, which has no shore of its own to the north.
Along the Forth from Cramond to Portobello
Silverknowes promenade runs along the south shore of the Forth from Granton to Cramond, about 3 miles from the centre, facing north over the water. Cramond, at the west end, has less light behind it. Portobello beach is 3 miles east of the centre, and in big storms the Edinburgh Evening News and the Scotsman have run reader photos from Portobello and Leith.
Arthur’s Seat above the streetlights
Arthur’s Seat (251 m) and Blackford Hill (164 m) lift you above the streetlights, but the city glow is still north of you, so they suit the strongest storms. On those nights the lights have been photographed over Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, and Calton Hill (103 m), in the middle of town, has filled with cars although vehicles are not normally allowed up.
From the hills the sky can look grey to the eye while a phone in night mode shows pink and green; see the guide to photographing the aurora with an iPhone.
Gullane and Yellowcraig in East Lothian
About 20 miles east near North Berwick, Gullane and Yellowcraig have the Forth to the north and far less light behind. Yellowcraig has a car park about 300 yards from the beach, and North Berwick has a train from Edinburgh. The Pentlands are the wrong way: from up there you look north straight into the city.
FAQ
Can you see the northern lights from Edinburgh city centre?
Only during a big geomagnetic storm. In the strongest storms the lights have been seen from Arthur's Seat, Calton Hill, Blackford Hill and Leith, all inside the city. On an ordinary active night the streetlights hide anything faint, so walk or drive to the Forth shore at Silverknowes, Cramond or Portobello, where you look north over water with the city behind you.
Where can I see the northern lights in Edinburgh without a car?
The Silverknowes to Cramond promenade is about 3 miles from the centre and faces north over the Forth, and Portobello beach is 3 miles the other way. Calton Hill is a short walk from Princes Street. For darker skies, North Berwick has a train from Edinburgh, and Yellowcraig and Gullane are close by on the East Lothian coast.
Is Arthur's Seat a good place to see the northern lights?
In the strongest storms, yes: the lights have been photographed over the summit and Salisbury Crags. At 251 m it lifts you above the streetlights, and the easiest way up is the grassy slope from the east above Dunsapie Loch. The catch is that the city centre and Leith lie to the north, so a faint display can still be lost in the glow.
Are the Pentland Hills good for watching the aurora from Edinburgh?
No. The Pentlands are south-west of the city, so from their slopes you look north straight across Edinburgh's lights. They are fine for stars to the south but the wrong side for the aurora. Head for the Forth shore or the East Lothian beaches instead, where the water is to the north and the city is behind you.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Edinburgh?
The aurora season in Edinburgh runs from mid-July to late May, when the nights get dark. The aurora is rare in Edinburgh: your best chances are in October. The longest nights, around 21 December, have about 14 hours of darkness.
Can you see the northern lights in Edinburgh in summer?
Only a bright one. After late May the sky doesn't get fully dark again until mid-July. The nights still reach twilight, so a strong aurora can show around midnight.
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Edinburgh?
In Edinburgh, you usually need at least Kp 4 to have a reasonable chance of seeing the northern lights. Lower Kp can still bring a faint aurora display low on the northern horizon, but it is less common.
This is based on magnetic latitude, and Kp index is a global geomagnetic index, so treat it as a rule of thumb, not a location-specific guarantee.
Tonight, the NOAA Kp index forecast is 1.3 to 1.7. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Edinburgh, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.