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Q My wife and I would love to see the northern lights. Instead of travelling to Norway, is it possible to see them from the north of Scotland? We can travel at short notice if needs be.

Brian and Pauline Smith, Maisemore

A. It is possible to see the northern lights from Scotland. In fact, the phenomenon has been known for centuries in Scottish Gaelic as fir chlis - which translates poetically as "nimble men" or "merry dancers".

The key is to head as far north as you can and stay somewhere with as little light pollution as possible. The northern lights are far from dependable: they can appear any time in winter, although January and February are the best months.

A good place to stay is the Pentland Lodge House, in Thurso, near Scotland's northeast tip (01847 895103, www.pentlandlodgehouse.co.uk; doubles from £80, B&B). The proprietor, Liz Sutherland, can recommend the best viewing spots and pack you a supper to enjoy while skygazing. Or try the Thunderton House hostel, in Elgin (01343 554920, thundertonhouse. co.uk; doubles from £20, room-only). It's attached to a cosy pub with an open fire, and is a great spot for spying the lights. If you'd prefer a cottage, visit self-catering-scotland.com/thenorthernlights.

The physics department at Lancaster University has a super website called AuroraWatch (www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/aurorawatch), with good general information and real-time activity reports. It will even email you free alerts when a good phase of activity is forecast. For more details, go to visitscotland.com/whiteinvite.