Where to See the Northern Lights in Scotland & Stargazing with Kids – As the nights draw in and with many of us not able to travel far, perhaps it’s time to look up! VisitScotland has shared a kit listing star gazing activities and ideas that can be experienced in your own house/garden/park -scroll down for the full pack and take yourself to the stars.
Where to See the Northern Lights in Scotland & Stargazing with Kids – info from VisitScotland

Stargazing at Clatteringshaws Loch, Galloway Forest Park – the UK’s first Dark Sky Park. P. Tomkins / VisitScotland
Galloway Forest Park – The UK’s first Dark Sky Park is a perfect location to not only explore during the day, but observe over 7,000 visible stars by night.
The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory -Located on a hilltop within the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park, this public observatory runs stargazing tours and includes a spectacular planetarium.
Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway – Europe’s very first Dark Sky Town, adopted special street lighting to keep light pollution to a minimum.
The Mills Observatory, Dundee – Gifted to the people of Dundee in 1935, Mills Observatory is Britain’s first purpose-built public observatory. You can see breath- taking views of the stars and planets through the impressive Victorian refracting telescope.
Isle of Coll, Inner Hebrides – This stunning ‘Dark Sky Island’ is a popular draw for budding astronomers. The Cosmos Planetarium also offers a fascinating haven for star enthusiasts, young and old alike.
Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides – Get back to basics, Lewis is home to one of Scotland’s earliest astronomical observatories, the Calanais Standing Stones.
Where to Spot the Northern Lights in Scotland
1 Shetland, Orkney and Caithness
2 Aberdeenshire, Moray
3 Lewis and Harris
4 Rannoch Moor
5 The Cairngorms
Watch a host of youtube clips put together by VisitScotland and the Glasgow Science Centre at youtube.com/visitscotland.
Listen to how we got on stargazing with children (always add a fun edge!) on BBC Radio Scotland’s Afternoon Show from roughly 1.39.00 (1 hour 39 minutes) here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000pqmp.
Read VisitScotland‘s guide to stargazing with kids below.