More Brits have been shifting their attention from their screens to the sky this year in search of one thing – the aurora borealis.
One of the world’s most fascinating natural phenomena, the Northern Lights – as it is more commonly known – continues to top bucket lists of people worldwide, and it’s no wonder why.
The hypnotic celestial display is often best seen in some of the planet’s most northern destinations, but recently, it has been igniting the skies a little further south and much closer to home for many Brits.
In fact, in May of 2024, cities and counties as far south as Cornwall could see the Northern Lights thanks to the most extreme geomagnetic storm in two decades.
And winter 2024/25 is expected to be one of the best seasons in recent decades for aurora spotting, according to the British Geological Survey. This is a result of the sun reaching the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, which will occur until early 2026.
So, rather than having to flock to forge in destinations renowned as aurora-viewing hotspots, Brits shouldn’t have to go much further than their own doorsteps to have the opportunity to spot the Northern Lights.
Interest in astrotourism and aurora spotting continues to soar too, with a whopping 2,700% increase in searches for “are the Northern Lights out tonight?” in the UK over the past 5 years, according to Google search data.
So, with this, where should Brits go – and when – to be in with the best chance of witnessing the phenomenon?
Well, we can appreciate that it’s difficult to know exactly when you could be likely to spot the Aurora Borealis, which is why our team at Independent Cottages team has crafted a handy tool to help you out.
Our Northern Lights Calculator analyses 30 years of publicly available geomagnetic data to discover which dates of the year offer the best likelihood of spotting the Aurora Borealis.
Not only this, but we’ve analysed the data while considering some of the very best places in the UK to view the phenomenon – our nation’s national parks.
Given their minimal light pollution and remote locations, UK national parks offer prime viewing conditions which will maximise chances of spotting the Aurora Borealis.
With 15 dotted across the country, you can simply select your nearest, favourite or must-visit national park alongside the date and year you want to go aurora-spotting, and it will tell you how likely you are to see it (providing the weather conditions are optimal, of course!)
Northern Lights Calculator
The Best Days of the Year to See The Northern Lights
Our analysis reveals that the 7th of November is the best day of the year to be in with a chance of spotting the Northern Lights dance across the UK’s national parks, with a 14.44% average likelihood of witnessing its appearance.
It may be unsurprising that November 7th secures this top spot, given that it’s on the cusp of winter when daylight hours are fewer!
October 22nd has a 12.67% average likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights, making it the second-best annual date to potentially spot them!
So long as Brits experience the ideal conditions for spotting the lights, it’s worth looking up at the sky on this date!
The Best Day of the Year to See The Northern Lights in Each UK National Park
For those across the country who are fortunate enough to have beautiful British wilderness right on their doorstep (or for those who are yearning for a trip to discover it at their next available opportunity!), you may be wondering when the best day to see the Northern Lights is for each of the country’s 15 national parks. Well, we’ve got the results…
Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog): October 22nd and November 7th
The highest likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights in the Brecon Beacons National Park is 13.33%, and there are two dates in the year that offer this degree of likelihood: October 22nd and November 7th.
Norfolk Broads: October 2nd and 22nd, and November 7th and 8th
To be in with a chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the Norfolk Broads, Britain’s largest protected wetland, you’re best bets are looking up to the skies on the 2nd or 22nd of October, or the 7th and 8th of November, all of which have a 6.67% likelihood of spotting the phenomenon.
The Cairngorms: March 1st
To spot the Northern Lights in Scotland’s beloved Cairngorms National Park, the end of the winter season holds the winning date of the year, with a 56.67% likelihood of seeing them on the 1st of March.
Dartmoor: September 25th, October 2nd and 22nd, and November 7th and 8th
One of Britain’s first national parks, Dartmoor has multiple dates throughout the year which have been shown to offer some of the highest chances of seeing the Northern Lights. These are: the 25th of September, the 2nd and 22nd of October, and the 7th and 8th of November, all of which have a 6.67% likelihood of spotting them.
Snowdonia (Eyryi): October 22nd and November 7th
Wales’ largest national park, Snowdonia, has two dates which show the highest likelihood (13.33%) of spotting the Northern Lights in the Welsh night sky, which are the 22nd of October and the 7th of November.
Exmoor: September 25th, October 2nd and 22nd, and November 7th and 8th
Home to the highest coastline in the British mainland, the south of England’s Exmoor National Park shares the same best dates to see the Northern Lights as its nearby neighbour national park of Dartmoor, with an equal 6.67% likelihood of spotting the phenomenon on any of these dates: the 25th of September; the 2nd and 22nd October, and the 7th and 8th of November.
Lake District: October 22nd and 7th November
The UK’s second-largest national park – the Lake District National Park – has the highest chances of seeing the Northern Lights on two autumn dates – the 22nd of October and the 7th of November – both of which have a good 13.33% likelihood of sightings.
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs: March 1st
The 4th largest national park in the British Isles, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, shares the same best date to spot the Northern Lights as its sister Scottish national park the Cairngorms; the 1st of March shows a promising 56.67% likelihood of sighting them, according to our analysis.
New Forest: September 25th, October 2nd and 22nd, and November 7th and 8th
The beautiful New Forest National Park also shares the same best dates to sight the Northern Lights as Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks and the same percentage likelihood of spotting them too! The 25th of September, the 2nd and 22nd of October, and the 7th and 8th of November all share a 6.67% likelihood of seeing the phenomenon in England’s sky.
North York Moors: October 22nd and November 7th
Situated in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, North York Moors National Park has the highest likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights on the 22nd of October and the 7th of November, coming in at 13.33%.
Northumberland: February 18th, 27th, and 28th; September 27th; October 13th; November 7th
England’s northernmost national park, Northumberland National Park has six dates which tie as having the highest likelihood (23.33%) of seeing the Northern Lights, these being: the 18th, 27th, and 28th of February, the 27th of September, the 13th of October, and the 7th of November.
Peak District: October 22nd and November 7th
England’s much loved Peak District National Park has two dates that have the highest likelihood – coming in at 13.33% – of spotting the natural phenomenon: the 22nd of October and the 7th of November.
Pembrokeshire Coast: October 22nd and November 7th
One of the UK’s smallest national parks – the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park – has the 22nd of October and the 7th of November as its top dates for seeing the Northern Lights, with a 13.33% likelihood of catching a glimpse of them on either of these dates.
South Downs: September 7th, 8th, 17th, and 25th; October 2nd and 22nd; and November 7th and 8th
The South Downs National Park is the UK’s most populous national park, and it has several dates throughout the year that offer the highest likelihood (6.67%) of seeing the Northern Lights. This includes four dates in September (the 7th, 8th, 17th, and 25th), two dates in October (the 2nd and 22nd), and two November dates (the 7th and 8th).
Yorkshire Dales: October 22nd and November 7th
The wild Yorkshire Dales National Park has two top dates for potentially sighting the Northern Lights – the 22nd of October and the 7th of November – with both having a 13.33% likelihood of catching a glimpse of the phenomenon.
The Best National Parks in the UK to View The Northern Lights
To top it off, we’ve found the top three national parks across the country where you’re most likely to see the Northern Lights, based on the number of times geomagnetic activity levels have been strong enough for the phenomenon to be seen over 30 years.
Coming in joint first position are both of the UK’s most northerly national parks, which may not come as a surprise – Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park and the Cairngorms National Park.
Scotland’s first national park, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs is home to vast landscapes and rugged hills, and its remote nature makes it the ideal place to spy the Northern Lights. The waterfront of Loch Lomond, specifically its eastern shores, are known for being a super spot to see the phenomenon too.
The Cairngorms on the other hand is the UK’s largest National Park, with its wonderfully wild landscapes filled with stretching forests being another of the best places to see the Northern Lights in the UK. The Glenlivet Estate in the National Park has a dark sky status and is known for its low light pollution levels, making it the perfect place to spot the lights in places including Scalan in the Braes of Glenlivet.
Home to England’s cleanest air and darkest skies, Northumberland National Park secured third place as one of the best national parks to see the Northern Lights in the UK. Its untouched landscapes and rolling hills offer peace and tranquility to those exploring during the day, but at night, visitors could be lucky enough to spot the Northern Lights if they look up to the sky.
Stonehaugh village in the national park is well known for its starry night skies that are ideal for stargazing, as the area is its own dedicated Dark Sky Discovery Site!
Methodology:
We extracted publicly available geomagnetic data, specifically KP readings, from the past 30 years to calculate the percentage likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights on any day of the year in any of the UK’s national parks.
The UK’s national parks were assigned a KP value obtained from a credible source.
Multiple KP readings for each day of the year were taken into consideration, which varied based on seasonality.
Any dates in the summer season were discounted from the final stage of analysis due to optimal conditions for seeing the Northern Lights being smaller in this season.
This data is an estimation based on the KP data obtained only and doesn’t take into account other factors that play a role in determining how likely people are to view the Northern Lights, including cloud coverage.
Data up to date as of September 2024.