Stargazers delight as Aurora Borealis dazzles in Scottish skies on New Year's Day

After Hogmanay firework displays were cancelled across Scotland due to strong winds, the Northern Lights put on a dazzling show for stargazers on New Year’s Day.

On Wednesday evening, many Scots had a front-row seat to the Aurora Borealis, which saw the heavens beam with pink and green lights.

Residents from Aberdeenshire to Fife shared their stunning pictures of the dazzling light displays with STV News.

The Northern Lights in Aberdeen. X/Erskine Logan Photography

Auroral displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

Light is emitted at various wavelengths as they collide, creating colourful displays in the sky.

In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.

When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area, which explains why displays can occasionally be seen as far south as the UK.

Insight Philip Petrie STV weather presenter

We’ve seen some fantastic pictures sent in from across the country of the Aurora Borealis, or the “Northern Lights” as they are more affectionately known.

Last night was the peak of their visibility, and coupled with fairly clear skies across the majority of Scotland it meant the keen-eyed were able to spot them even across parts of the central belt and further south.

As always, they never look the same through the naked eye compared to the photos, and some of the photos from last night are spectacular. At the start of tonight we have the perfect conditions to spot them once again with some clear skies around, however the aurora will not be as strong tonight and then through the second half of the night things will turn cloudier from the north. Never fear, though, as this is just the beginning of the year, and there are still plenty of opportunities to catch them.