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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Lee Dalgetty

Blogger shares incredible Northern Lights pictures above Edinburgh

The Northern Lights were spotted on Sunday night above the capital, after it was predicted they could be visible.

Due to an 'unexpected solar flare', people across Scotland were told the aurora borealis may appear. Shaun Alexander, a blogger from Edinburgh, was driving home from the airport when a notification went off on his phone from the Northern Lights Now app.

It told him there could be potential activity, so he and his wife went out to Longiddry in hopes of witnessing the spectacle.

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Shaun said: "I wasn't expecting to see them at all - firstly because with the light skies appearing in late April, it's usually too light to see the northern lights, and also with heavy cloud cover it seemed like a long shot.

"Nonetheless, my wife and I headed out to Longniddry in East Lothian, arriving by the beach at 11PM. We waited for 30 minutes with nothing but thick clouds - then from nowhere, the skies cleared and we were treated to this spectacular show.

Scottish blogger Shaun Alexander captured the Northern Lights on Sunday night above the capital (Shaun Alexander/Dreaming of Scotland)

"It was one of the best I've ever seen in Scotland. And then we even saw what appeared to be a 'face' of a woman. It was a truly remarkable sight - maybe this is what they mean by 'lady' aurora."

Shaun added that witnessing the Northern Lights can often be 'luck of the draw', though has some tips on his blog for making your chances better.

He added: "You can see them virtually anywhere in Scotland if there's a solar flare happening: best bet is to download the aurora alert apps and be ready to head out at the drop of a hat.

"You also want to get away from city lights, with a clear northern horizon. You need to be lucky to also have no clouds - or at least some gaps in the cloud.

"The best times to see them are October through to the end of April, and there may be more chances to see them over the coming days, so watch out."

On Sunday, The Met Office wrote: "In Scotland and northern England you may be able to spot the #Aurora Borealis tonight, though there will be too much cloud for most Clearer skies tomorrow night mean there will be a greater chance for some good views."

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