A Scots gran who has travelled around the world in a bid to see the Northern Lights had her dream come true after she saw the spectacle in her own back garden.
Ada Donaldson’s lifelong ambition to see the stunning aurora saw her regularly make the trip to the north of Scotland in her campervan in search of the aurora borealis. The 62-year-old even flew to Iceland two years ago to fulfill her quest but was left disappointed.
But on Thursday the gran was left stunned when unusual solar activity caused the Northern Lights to appear in the sky right above her Midlothian home.
Speaking to the Record, Ada, from Bilston, said: “It has always been my dream to see the Northern Lights. To see them so close in my own village – dreams really do come true.
“I have been left disappointed so many times over the years. Then it happens on my doorstep.
“It was unbelievable.”
The lights have been visible across the world following a large solar wind erupting on October 9. When these solar particles collide with Earth’s atmosphere, it sparks a geomagnetic response – called a coronal mass ejection (CME) – which creates visible Northern Lights.
Stargazers across Scotland captured stunning images of the aurora as it became visible in many parts of the country including Beith, Bathgate, Harthill and Coatbridge.
Ada, who is a spiritual medium, recalled a disappointing trip to Iceland two years ago.
She said: “We travelled to Iceland a couple of years ago to do the Northern Lights tour. They do tell you that you might not see them – and we didn’t end up seeing a thing. That was really disappointing.
“We have a campervan too and have often travelled up north hoping that we would see the lights but never had any joy.
“On Thursday my daughter had said the Northern Lights might be visible, but I was still sceptical as I’d seen reports like this before and they were never there.”
Despite travelling thousands of miles over the years, Ada said the magical moment was worth the wait. She added: “I couldn’t believe it when I looked outside and there they were – it was the real McCoy.
“The photographs don’t do it justice. That will live with me forever.”
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