Northern lights in Shetland

Tonight’s aurora forecast for Shetland, where to watch, and when the sky is usually clear.

The night of Monday 2 November, Shetland time (GMT)

Stay in tonight

Cloud cover is likely to hide the view tonight.

  • CloudCloudyAverage cloud cover 96% after dark
  • AuroraWeak activityKp 2 forecast at its highest
  • DarknessDark from 18:00Until 06:00
  • MoonRises around 00:0040% lit · brighter after

High confidence · Forecast data up to date · What this means

Forecast details
  • Cloud forecast updated 15:31
  • Aurora forecast issued 12:30
  • Recalculated by Little Aurora 16:45
  • This page made 16:48

Shetland time. The sources’ times say how fresh the forecast is; the page’s own time doesn’t. What these mean

Where to watch near Shetland

Bain's Beach

Coast

Tonight: stay in

Small beach in central Lerwick; Visit Shetland shared an aurora photo taken here looking over to Bressay.

Getting there
1 min drive
Darkness
Some glow: town glow on the horizon
Good to know
Town light: Visit Shetland advises moving away from street lighting, particularly Lerwick, for the best view.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Eshaness

Coast

Tonight: stay in

Clifftop lighthouse on the north-west Mainland, named by VisitScotland as a key aurora spot, with wide dark sea views.

Getting there
60 min drive
Darkness
Very dark: far from town lights
Parking
Free, spacious car park at the lighthouse.
Good to know
Public transport to Eshaness is very limited; Visit Shetland recommends going by car.
Safety
High volcanic cliffs: keep a safe distance from the edge.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Hermaness National Nature Reserve

Coast

Tonight: stay in

Most northerly point of Britain, on Unst; NatureScot says there is no light pollution in the sky to the north.

Getting there
174 min drive
Darkness
Very dark: far from town lights
Parking
Reserve car park with a visitor hub; a boardwalk leads across the moor to the western cliffs.
Toilets
Toilets at the car park open daily 1 May to 30 September only.
Good to know
On Unst, reached from the Mainland by inter-island ferries through Yell; the return walk to the cliffs takes about three hours.
Safety
The walk is graded challenging and runs to high sea cliffs, 170 m at the Neap.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

St Ninian's Isle

Coast

Tonight: stay in

Sandy tombolo near Bigton, cited for minimal light pollution; the aurora has been filmed here.

Getting there
30 min drive
Darkness
Very dark: far from town lights
Parking
Car park at the end of the minor road about 0.5 mi west of Bigton, by the tombolo.
Good to know
Visit Shetland recommends going by car; there is only a limited bus service through Bigton.
Safety
The tombolo may be submerged during very high tides, storms and more often in winter. On the isle, keep well away from cliff edges and the tops of the deep inlets (geos).

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Sumburgh Head

Coast

Tonight: stay in

Lighthouse headland recommended for its wide, dark views over the sea.

Getting there
44 min drive
Darkness
Very dark: far from town lights
Parking
Tarmac car park at the reserve with no lighting and no opening or height restrictions.
Toilets
Toilets by the cafe open April to September only; nearest public toilets at Grutness Pier, 1 mile away.
Good to know
Sumburgh Airport lights and the lighthouse's LED beams add light here.
Safety
Paths are uneven and unimproved alongside boundary walls and fences.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Times are typical, from the centre of Shetland by road or path rather than in a straight line, and winter conditions can make them longer. Walking times don’t mean a route is lit or safe on foot in winter; check each spot’s notes.

Clear dark nights by month

  • 21% Jan
  • 20% Feb
  • 18% Mar
  • 18% Apr
  • 14% May
  • – Jun
  • 10% Jul
  • 14% Aug
  • 19% Sep
  • 20% Oct
  • 20% Nov
  • 21% Dec

The share of nights with at least two dark hours under 30% cloud cover, averaged by month over 1996–2025. It describes cloud, not aurora: a clear night still needs activity. A dash means no record for that month, usually because it doesn’t get dark. About this record

Questions

When is the best time to see the northern lights in Shetland?

In the dark months. Over 1996–2025, a clear spell after dark was likeliest in January and December, on about 21% of nights. That record is about cloud only: on any one night, the cloud and the activity forecast matter more than the season, so check on the day.

Where can you see the northern lights near Shetland?

This page lists 5 viewing spots near Shetland; the darkest is Eshaness (60 min drive). Each has how to get there, parking, winter access and safety notes. Little Aurora picks the best one each night from cloud and darkness.

Aurora data from NOAA and GFZ. Cloud forecasts from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Places and travel times from OpenStreetMap contributors. Usual cloud from Copernicus ERA5 and weather-station records from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, SMHI and the Icelandic Met Office. Forecasts are never guaranteed; conditions can change quickly. How the forecast works