Aurora destinations · Scotland
Northern lights in Thurso
Highlands, Scotland · 58.59°N, 3.53°W
Thurso sits near the auroral oval: aurora shows on most moderately active nights (magnetic latitude 56°). Light pollution: the sky here is fairly dark.
Open the live forecast for Thurso
At a glance
- Good odds: from Kp 2.8 at a dark site
- Best months: April, March and September
- Best weeks in the coming year: 24 Mar – 13 Apr · 21 Apr – 11 May · 1–14 Sept
- Too light for aurora: 9 Jun – 6 Jul (bright nights)
Month by month
A typical night: real darkness and moon, average aurora activity (Kp 2014–2025) and satellite cloud cover (NASA, 2001–2025). Long-range odds, not a forecast.
| Month | Typical night | Clear sky | Dark hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3% | 15% | 14 h |
| February | 4% | 18% | 12 h |
| March | 4% | 20% | 10 h |
| April | 4% | 22% | 7 h |
| May | 3% | 23% | 3 h |
| June | 1% | 15% | 1 h |
| July | 2% | 16% | 3 h |
| August | 3% | 16% | 6 h |
| September | 4% | 19% | 9 h |
| October | 4% | 19% | 12 h |
| November | 3% | 17% | 14 h |
| December | 3% | 16% | 15 h |
Tips for Thurso
- Clouds decide most nights: check the hour-by-hour forecast, and the “Clearer skies nearby” card for a spot within a drive.
- Aurora is usually best between about 22:00 and 02:00 local time; give your eyes 15 minutes in the dark.
- The sky is already dark here: find an open view to the north.