Anyone seen the Northern Lights?

[RhodaCamel]

It is my ultimate dream to see the Northern Lights.
I know they are known to be a bit elusive and a trip to find them can be a bit hit and miss, ideally I would like to try to catch them in Norway as, for some reason I just love the look of the place and have always felt a connection to the country, so even if I don’t get to see them I will hopefully enjoy the trip.
Have any of you seen the Northern Lights? Where did you go and at what time of the year?

We went to Iceland and didn't see them, however as we started off on the trip we were told all the colours you see in photographs is not what the naked eye sees, it's mainly a white whisp, purely because the eye can't capture what a camera can.

Yes, iceland in December. You need a clear night so the longer you go for the more chance there is. We went on a private tour with a taxi driver for £100 who drove us to the darkest possible place and gave us spiced rum :)

I second the fact they don't look like the photos - they do through an iPhone camera - the newer one but not to the naked eye. They're much whiter

Well jel. Used to see them regularly, growing up in northern Scandinavia, but didn't realise until I moved to the UK that they're a 'thing' and can apparently be quite spectacular. I used to see them on the way home from ice-hockey practise, but they were only ever cloudy, grey shower-curtains drifting across the sky. Not something I would travel especially to see, given the cold!

Didn't see them in Iceland when we went too much cloud cover.
I'd love to do a tour with Hurtigruten -

Yes, plenty times, blushing to admit we get a bit blade about it as we see it so often. We live in the north of scotland, in a small village but on cold nights I just need to stand on my back doorstep and its there!

*blase, flipping autocorrect

I'm sad some of you have only ever seen the white ones. I've seen full colour with the naked eye. They DO exist. Vibrant greens mostly but some purple and red. Saying they don't look like the photos and they're only wispy white is incredibly misleading. They CAN be wispy white, but they can also be vibrantly colourful.

Several times where I live in North Aberdeenshire, mostly greens and blues but saw a range of colours a few years ago in September. We were circled by lights reds, purples, greens and blues.

Iceland in Feb last year

I’ll be a bit disappointed if I only get to see the white variety but will still be an amazing phenomenon, I’m sure. Maybe I should have a few trips to Scotland first see if we can catch them there.

Yes, when I lived in the northeast near Sunderland
Was very spectacular and completely unexpected

Where are all you people in Scotland and the north of England who "regularly" see them? I'm near Durness (so you can't get much further north!) and it never happens.

Yes in Iceland during October half term.

Travelled to Tromso, Norway in March and fell lucky twice in one week. Had to travel far out into the sticks to see them, it was -25 degrees one night but, god, it was worth it. Had an ‘active’ night once and it was like green clouds, but the first night we saw a solar storm, the sky filled with green and purple light, just like the incredible photos. One of the best experiences of my life. Definitely travel to Norway for it, no idea why Iceland is marketed as the best place for them when arctic Norway has them more frequently.

@Buttercup53 I think it might be because you can fly directly to Reykjavik with budget airlines from a few different airports in the UK. If I wanted to go to Norway, Finland etc, it would involving driving to one of the London airports first. It also generally has milder weather - it was nothing near -25 when I was there, which I was thankful for haha.

I've seen them in North Norway in February and they were the most wonderful thing ever. Sometimes just the tiniest tinge of grey, and sometimes the full works - green, purple, red dancing vividly round the sky. You have to keep alert - the sky can go from nothing to a full-on display and back to nothing again in the space of a minute or two.

Yes, amazing green ones in Stirling about 15 years ago. Never seen them since. I even dragged my very ill friend out of bed to see them!

Has anyone seen the northern lights episode of Amazing Spaces? Those igloos in Finland look AH-MAZING!

I’m in Canada, roughly 7 hours driving north of @VetOnCall. We see them regularly, pretty much daily if conditions are good. Much more difficult to see in the summer because of limited darkness but you can still see them.

We see them in green, purple and red, like the photos. They’re never white. Even if they’re really faint they are still green.

Saw them driving from Shelby to York about 20+ years ago. Fantastic!

Just like this

@whatelsecouldibecalled sounds unfortunate that you only saw white clouds... When we saw them they were like blue flames flickering around the sky! You don't need to film them to see them think someone has misled you I'm afraid!

Or this

I got a Norther Lights trip promise for my birthday this year - I have been wanting this for EVER and cannot express how excited I am. I am researching when and where to go and can't decide between Norway and Iceland. I was originally set on the glass igloos (and still might be) but every website throws a new curve-ball at me. We can go pretty much any month in the next year or so and would be looking to be away for about 4/5 days. I am excited but I know it's a gamble and that the activity is not at it's highest at the moment, so any suggestions welcome!!