Skip to content

Rare moonbows seen over the Highlands

A moonbow seen from Fortrose on the Black Isle

Raddery Snapper/BBC Weather Watchers Moonbow — A moonbow seen from Fortrose on the Black Isle

Moonbows could be seen from parts of the Highlands on Thursday night.

The optical phenomenon is caused when moonlight is refracted through water droplets in the air.

Moonbows, also known as lunar rainbows, are faint and very rarely seen, according to the Met Office.

Dores on the shores of Loch Ness also had good views of the lunar rainbow

Ruth Bradstreet Moonbow — Dores on the shores of Loch Ness also had good views of the lunar rainbow

A picture of the optical phenomenon taken from Inverness

Gibbsy/BBC Weather Watchers Moonbow — A picture of the optical phenomenon taken from Inverness

Abriachan in the hills above Loch Ness was another vantage point for moonbow sightings

Abriachan View/BBC Weather Watchers Moonbow — Abriachan in the hills above Loch Ness was another vantage point for moonbow sightings

A lunar rainbow over Alness in Easter Ross

Eilidh MacDonald Moonbow — A lunar rainbow over Alness in Easter Ross

RNLI Loch Ness, stationed near Drumnadrochit, asked what might lie at the end of a lunar rainbow

RNLI Loch Ness Moonbow — RNLI Loch Ness, stationed near Drumnadrochit, asked what might lie at the end of a lunar rainbow

More on this story

Rare 'three-in-one' rainbow intrigues experts