Northern Lights
Cairngorms Dark Sky Park — Tomintoul & Glenlivet
The Tomintoul & Glenlivet Dark Sky Park sits inside the Cairngorms National Park. It was designated in 2018 following an application by the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Landscape Partnership, whose area the Cairngorms National Park Authority puts at around 265 km². The landscape is upland moorland and farmland between Tomintoul village and the Braes of Glenlivet, and the Glenlivet Estate has three registered Dark Sky Discovery Sites — easy-access spots with little light pollution — so you do not need to go far into the hills to get a dark sky.
Aurora Alert Now: Live status unavailable
22:08Live alert unavailable right now — check AuroraWatch UK directly for tonight’s status.
New to this? Start with the Scotland Northern Lights guide — season timing, the Kp index and what a display really looks like.
Quick facts
- Designation
- International Dark Sky Park
- Designated
- 2018
- Aurora probability
- High aurora probability
- Region
- Cairngorms
- Grid ref
- NJ 168 186
Getting there
Tomintoul village (AB37 9EX) is the visitor hub. The Glenlivet Estate lists three Dark Sky Discovery Sites: Blairfindy (just south-west of Glenlivet Distillery, NJ 187 284), Tomintoul (the lay-by at the end of the Lecht road), and Scalan (near Chapeltown, Braes of Glenlivet, car park at NJ 244 202), which the estate notes has great views north for the aurora. In winter the A939 can close in snow — check road conditions before driving up.
Postcode: AB37 9EX
Photography notes
Scalan's northern outlook is the one the estate itself recommends for the aurora. For the Milky Way, face south from any of the three Discovery Sites. Frost and dew form quickly on clear nights here — a dew heater or a handwarmer under the lens hood helps.
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:35
- Sunset
- 16:19
- Civil dawn
- 06:53
- Civil dusk
- 17:01
NOAA Solar Calculator · 6 November 2026
Common questions
- Can you see the Northern Lights from Cairngorms Dark Sky Park — Tomintoul & Glenlivet?
- Yes — given an active night and a clear sky. Cairngorms Dark Sky Park — Tomintoul & Glenlivet sits at 57.3°N. At this latitude it takes a stronger display (around Kp 5 or above) to show over the northern horizon, rather than the lower readings that reach the far north. You still need a clear night, an open view to the north, and as little light pollution as possible. The darkest, longest nights for aurora hunting run through October, November, December, January, February, March. Check AuroraWatch UK and a clear-sky forecast before heading out, and watch the live aurora alert at the top of this page.
- Where are the Dark Sky Discovery Sites in Glenlivet?
- The Glenlivet Estate lists three: Blairfindy, just south-west of Glenlivet Distillery (NJ 187 284); Tomintoul, at the lay-by at the end of the Lecht road; and Scalan, near Chapeltown in the Braes of Glenlivet (car park NJ 244 202), which has good views north for the aurora.
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