Awesome aurora lights up Scotland's night sky

BBC Weather Watchers and BBC Scotland News website readers were among those to capture the aurora, including from Kilsyth.

Aaron Paliczka's face says it all in a picture taken by mum Emma in Dalkeith, Midlothian.

Powerful displays of the Northern Lights were visible from across Scotland overnight.

Clear night skies provided the best opportunities for seeing the space weather, also known as aurora borealis.

The lights are caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, and overnight were visible as far south as Buckinghamshire and London.

The colours are picked up by cameras, including those fitted to mobile phones.

The aurora glowing green and pink and reflected in a loch at Kinlochard, Stirling.

A phenomenon called an aurora corona appears overhead in this photo taken from Bathgate, West Lothian.

The Met Office said the overnight displays were linked to activity on the sun on Wednesday and resulted in severe geomagnetic storms.

Forecasters said the chances of seeing the aurora would gradually ease through Friday, and would become increasingly confined to northern latitudes by Sunday.

UK sky-watchers on Monday night were treated to the rare phenomenon known as Steve, a relatively new scientific discovery that looks like the aurora.

Its name means Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.

A beautiful display behind a house in a picture taken in Orkney.

Lairg in the Highlands was among the places were clear views to the lights.

A photo taken from Perth of the stunning night sky.

The view to the lights from Loans, South Ayrshire.

The aurora pictured from Dumfries.

In a forecast earlier this week, British Geological Survey (BGS) said there had been the possibility of a G4 category geomagnetic storm overnight.

G4 is the second highest rating on the scale BGS uses and it signifies a severe storm.

Dark autumn and winter nights offer the best chance of seeing displays - if skies are clear - and there are websites, apps and social media groups providing forecasts and alerts for when they might occur.

Fee Proctor was on a dog walk at Brodick, Arran, when the aurora appeared.

The view from Lawhead in East Lothian.

The dramatic skies from Invercoe in the Highlands.

The aurora was visible behind clouds above Banchory in Aberdeenshire.

A tree silhouetted against the night sky at Penicuik.

Greenock, Inverclyde, was also treated to displays.

The overnight view from Carradale, Argyll.

Vibrant colours in a picture taken from Strathaven, South Lanarkshire.

Taking in the sights at Portmahomack in the Highlands.

Green and pink aurora shimmering in a cloudy sky above Busta in Shetland.