In Pictures: The Northern Lights over Scotland

A colourful aurora display over Bellhaven Bridge, also known as the Bridge to Nowhere, in Dunbar

The Northern Lights have been creating spectaculars display across Scotland and the UK this week.

The aurora has been visible to the naked eye without the need for photo equipment - which is rare for southern areas. There have been sightings as far south as Dorset.

The phenomenon is caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in the Earth's atmosphere.

This appears as bright, swirling curtains of lights in the night sky, in colours from green to pink and scarlet.

The best chance of seeing the aurora on Wednesday is in northern Scotland, although weather conditions are not ideal.

Here are some your photographs from around the country this week.

Carole More took this picture as her and her husband looked across the Moray Firth at Hopeman. She said they were "mesmerised" by the view of the lights, adding it was the best they had ever seen without looking through a camera.

A starry sky plays host to a striking green light show off the coast of Hopeman

John Roach from Aberdeen took photograph of the lights behind the silhouette of Slains Castle. "Whether an inspiration for the setting of Dracula or not... [it] looked pretty eerie in the midnight hour with the green glow of the aurora behind it."

Sheisa Fallon took these pictures of aurora borealis on Tuesday from Bigton in Shetland...

... Sheisa also captured the view of the lights looking over St Ninian's Isle

BBC Weather Watcher Sharon took this image of a pylon in front of a deep purple sky in Glenrothes

People were also able to see the Northern Lights from Bora

Over on the west coast, the lights could be seen in the early hours of Wednesday morning from the village of Clachtoll in the Highlands

Aurora snappers will be green with envy of this symmetrical shot of the sky reflected into the water at Bonar Bridge

Have you seen the Northern Lights. You can submit your pictures to BBC Weather Watchers or to [e-mail].

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