The Northern Lights.

[mangerton]

I have seen them once or twice, but nothing very spectacular.

My father saw this as a teenager just north of Falkirk, and described it to me years later
as an amazing experience.

[ardcarp]

It's a little ironic, posting from Norway, (but not oop North) that I and Mrs A. saw the Aurora Borealis in Falmouth, Cornwall about 15 years ago. There were some faint-ish shafts of pink-ish light fanning upwards. Mrs A. thought it might be some sort of man-made light display and walked up the hill to see Falmouth town...but no; it was some sort of atmospheric effect. Next day we rang Craig Rich, the local BBC Southwest weather man. He confirmed that it was indeed the Northern Lights and had been spotted by many others that night. He also said that the southernmost ever sighting was from the North coast of Spain.

[gamba]

A great display in North of Iceland many years ago.

More memorable were vicious attacks upon us on many occasions by arctic terns. A member of a BBC natural history team once showed me a scar along the top of his head as proof of the need for care under such circumstances.