Aurora and rare moonbows light up the night

The Aurora Borealis could be seen in the skies from parts of Scotland overnight.

Also known as the Northern Lights, the displays are linked to activity on the surface of the Sun.

The aurora is caused by the interaction of solar wind - a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun - and Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.

When weather conditions are favourable, Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland offer some of the best places to observe the aurora, or Northern Lights as the phenomenon is often known.

Moonbows were also spotted overnight.

Also known as a lunar rainbow, the rare optical phenomenon is caused when the light from the moon is refracted through water droplets in the air.