Travel
Stunning Scottish island where you can catch a glimpse of the northern lights
If you missed out on seeing the northern lights in the UK earlier this year, you could just take a trip to this remote Scottish island where they’re spotted frequently
The northern lights made a rare appearance across the UK earlier this year, although many living in city centres or other areas with light pollution missed out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
But worry not, there are still ways to see the amazing sights of the aurora borealis in the UK, which could also make for the perfect staycation.
St Ninian’s Isle, a tied island with a tombolo attaching it to Shetland in Scotland, is one of the best places to see the northern lights in the UK, with its remote location and lack of inhabitants meaning there is little to no light pollution getting in the way.
With St Ninian’s tombolo occasionally covered by the sea, there’s been much debate as to whether the isle is an island or a peninsula. But whether you can walk, or get a boat, it’s still a rather stunning place.
St Ninian’s was last inhabited in 1796, and the nearest village is now Bigton which is located back on Shetland’s mainland.
However, while the island may have been uninhabited for over 200 years, this certainly wasn’t always the case with Neolithic graves being discovered during archaeological digs.
There are also ruins of a 12th-century chapel dedicated to Saint Ninian of Galloway, Patron Saint of the Shetland Islands, and for whom St Ninian’s Isle was named.
Further excavations have revealed that this was not the first chapel on the site, with evidence of a pre-Norse chapel’s wall being discovered.
On 4 July 1958, a hoard of silver metalwork from the Early Medieval period was discovered during an excavation. This is believed to have been a family collection that was likely hidden in the church for safety.
It’s unknown what happened to the owners of St Ninian’s treasure but the items are now on display in the National Museum of Scotland.
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