Stunning 'night shining' clouds seen over Scotland

Noctilucent cloudsImage source, Monika Focht/BBC Weather Watchers
Image caption,

A view of the clouds from Pennan in Aberdeenshire

  • Published

Weather watchers have been getting up early and staying up late to spot Noctilucent clouds.

The clouds can be spotted in summertime before sunrise and sunset.

Also known as night shining clouds, they are visible when ice crystals form high in Earth's atmosphere and are underlit by the Sun.

On Thursday and Friday they were spotted from Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Harris and Moray.

Image source, Peter Maciver
Image caption,

Peter Maciver said he captured the clouds over Ben Luskentyre, Isle of Harris, late at night

Image source, Dabby/BBC Weather Watchers
Image caption,

A picture taken from Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway

Image source, Ticketyboo_sus/BBC Weather Watchers
Image caption,

The clouds in an image taken at Ellon in Aberdeenshire

Image source, Astronut/BBC Weather Watchers
Image caption,

A beautiful display in an image captured at Elgin in Moray