West Lothian skies lit up as meteor burned through atmosphere over Scotland
This is the incredible moment a meteor turns the sky yellow while burning up as it tears through the atmosphere. Olivia Nicol captured the meteor plummeting towards earth in Bathgate, West Lothian, yesterday evening.
The pictures she took of the August 16, 2025, event were shared by her dad, Scott Mills. A trail can be see coming from the back of the rock as it hurtles towards the ground.
It is the second time in a number of weeks that a bright meteor has been spotted in the sky over Scotland. In July, astonished Scots captured a meteor streaking and burning brightly across the night sky.
An orange light was accompanied by a bang and spotted just before 1am by people on the Isle of Lewis, Stirling, Glasgow and in Argyll and Bute on July 3, reports our sister title the Record.
The BBC reported that Gillian-Isabella McLaughlin was walking her dog in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, when the whole sky was lit up. She said it was "the most thrilling sight" she had ever witnessed.
Meteors are so named when matter enters Earth's atmosphere and often make a spectacular appearance as they burn and create streaking lights through the sky.
(Image: Olivia Nicol)
Andy McNeill, who saw the event in Appin, Argyll and Bute, said: "There was a bright flash over the house which also caused the wi-fi to reset, and then maybe 20 to 30 seconds later an explosive bang.
"There was also contrail in the sky, striking broadly east to west." Rachel Sutherland, from Inverness, said: "I saw a bright flash but wasn't sure what it was."
Another observer at Glen Lyon in Perthshire said they saw a flash in the sky at around 00:50 followed a few minutes later by a rumble in the air.
Gemma Henderson, who saw the event from her living room in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, said: "I thought it must have been a lightning bolt. I have the lightning tracker app on my phone, so checked that and found that there had been no lightning present.
"Then there was a loud noise, so thought the tracker must have been incorrect. It was extremely bright." Merseyside lorry driver Ringolds Abolins spotted it while driving up to Glasgow on the M74.
He said: "It burned out in two to four seconds. It was so quick and was small green line behind. I thought in first moment it was a kind of rocket or missile."
Ray Whyte was staying in a static caravan while working in Glen Nevis in the Highlands when he was startled by the meteorite. He said: "I couldn't sleep after a hard day so got up for a coffee.
"Me and dog jumped out our skin with the bang. I missed the light as the curtains were drawn, but the whole static shook like it had been used as a drum or a vehicle had hit the side.
"Left us both pretty scared and confused." William Sinclair, of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, said he was woken by two large bangs and feared someone was breaking into his house.
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Edinburgh Live
9 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
West Lothian skies lit up as meteor burned through atmosphere over Scotland
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info This is the incredible moment a meteor turns the sky yellow while burning up as it tears through the atmosphere. Olivia Nicol captured the meteor plummeting towards earth in Bathgate, West Lothian, yesterday evening. The pictures she took of the August 16, 2025, event were shared by her dad, Scott Mills. A trail can be see coming from the back of the rock as it hurtles towards the ground. It is the second time in a number of weeks that a bright meteor has been spotted in the sky over Scotland. In July, astonished Scots captured a meteor streaking and burning brightly across the night sky. An orange light was accompanied by a bang and spotted just before 1am by people on the Isle of Lewis, Stirling, Glasgow and in Argyll and Bute on July 3, reports our sister title the Record. The BBC reported that Gillian-Isabella McLaughlin was walking her dog in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, when the whole sky was lit up. She said it was "the most thrilling sight" she had ever witnessed. Meteors are so named when matter enters Earth's atmosphere and often make a spectacular appearance as they burn and create streaking lights through the sky. (Image: Olivia Nicol) Andy McNeill, who saw the event in Appin, Argyll and Bute, said: "There was a bright flash over the house which also caused the wi-fi to reset, and then maybe 20 to 30 seconds later an explosive bang. "There was also contrail in the sky, striking broadly east to west." Rachel Sutherland, from Inverness, said: "I saw a bright flash but wasn't sure what it was." Another observer at Glen Lyon in Perthshire said they saw a flash in the sky at around 00:50 followed a few minutes later by a rumble in the air. Gemma Henderson, who saw the event from her living room in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, said: "I thought it must have been a lightning bolt. I have the lightning tracker app on my phone, so checked that and found that there had been no lightning present. "Then there was a loud noise, so thought the tracker must have been incorrect. It was extremely bright." Merseyside lorry driver Ringolds Abolins spotted it while driving up to Glasgow on the M74. He said: "It burned out in two to four seconds. It was so quick and was small green line behind. I thought in first moment it was a kind of rocket or missile." Ray Whyte was staying in a static caravan while working in Glen Nevis in the Highlands when he was startled by the meteorite. He said: "I couldn't sleep after a hard day so got up for a coffee. "Me and dog jumped out our skin with the bang. I missed the light as the curtains were drawn, but the whole static shook like it had been used as a drum or a vehicle had hit the side. "Left us both pretty scared and confused." William Sinclair, of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, said he was woken by two large bangs and feared someone was breaking into his house.
Daily Record
11 hours ago
- Daily Record
Meteor burns up as it tears through skies over Scotland
Olivia Nicol captured the event in Bathgate. This is the incredible moment a meteor turns the sky yellow while burning up as it tears through the atmosphere. Olivia Nicol captured the meteor plummeting towards earth in Bathgate, West Lothian, yesterday evening. The pictures she took of the August 16, 2025, event were shared with the Daily Record by her dad, Scott Mills. A trail can be see coming from the back of the rock as it hurtles towards the ground. It is the second time in a number of weeks that a bright meteor has been spotted in the sky over Scotland. In July, astonished Scots captured a meteor streaking and burning brightly across the night sky. An orange light was accompanied by a bang and spotted just before 1am by people on the Isle of Lewis, Stirling, Glasgow and in Argyll and Bute on July 3. The BBC reported that Gillian-Isabella McLaughli was walking her dog in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, when the whole sky was lit up. She said it was "the most thrilling sight" she had ever witnessed. Meteors are so named when matter enters Earth's atmosphere and often make a spectacular appearance as they burn and create streaking lights through the sky. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Andy McNeill, who saw the event in Appin, Argyll and Bute, said: "There was a bright flash over the house which also caused the wi-fi to reset, and then maybe 20 to 30 seconds later an explosive bang. "There was also contrail in the sky, striking broadly east to west." Rachel Sutherland, from Inverness, said: "I saw a bright flash but wasn't sure what it was." Another observer at Glen Lyon in Perthshire said they saw a flash in the sky at around 00:50 followed a few minutes later by a rumble in the air. Gemma Henderson, who saw the event from her living room in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, said: "I thought it must have been a lightning bolt. I have the lightning tracker app on my phone, so checked that and found that there had been no lightning present. "Then there was a loud noise, so thought the tracker must have been incorrect. It was extremely bright." Merseyside lorry driver Ringolds Abolins spotted it while driving up to Glasgow on the M74. He said: "It burned out in two to four seconds. It was so quick and was small green line behind. I thought in first moment it was a kind of rocket or missile." Ray Whyte was staying in a static caravan while working in Glen Nevis in the Highlands when he was startled by the meteorite. He said: "I couldn't sleep after a hard day so got up for a coffee. "Me and dog jumped out our skin with the bang. I missed the light as the curtains were drawn, but the whole static shook like it had been used as a drum or a vehicle had hit the side. "Left us both pretty scared and confused." William Sinclair, of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, said he was woken by two large bangs and feared someone was breaking into his house.
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Scotland's summer sunshine to continue as experts reveal how long the warm weather will last
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTLAND is piling on the rays this month, with August proving sunnier and warmer than normal. And Scots are set to bask in more summer sunshine and enjoy highs of 20C for a little while longer. 3 Scots have had a sunnier, warmer August than normal Credit: Alamy 3 And the Met Office has now revealed how much longer it is set to last Credit: Alamy 3 Scots have enjoyed highs of around mid-20C this month Credit: Alamy The month began with Storm Floris and continued last week with dramatic thunderstorms in the north east, flooding out a shopping centre in Dundee. But most of the country has enjoyed a dry and largely sunny weekend. And the Met Office has revealed that the forecast for the next week also looks promising. There is no rain expected across the country until next Sunday at the earliest, paving the way for temperatures in the low 20's tomorrow and remaining in the high teens until next weekend. Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: "It's a grey start for many on Monday morning, but as we go into the afternoon, the cloud will lift and break and we'll see more in the way of sunny spells developing. 'But not everywhere, and we could see the cloud linger particularly over Eastern England and into Scotland through the day. Plenty of dry weather to come and in the sunshine, expect temperatures in the mid-20's Celsius Greg Dewhurst 'But plenty of dry weather to come and in the sunshine, expect temperatures in the mid-20's Celsius, but perhaps not as high as Sunday. 'As we move through the week ahead, the high pressure is generally nearby, so lots of settled weather to come. 'There will be the risk of some showers on Tuesday across south west England, but plenty of sunny spells across the country. 'As for temperatures, well, they start above average, especially across central and southern parts of the UK. Little-known iPhone trick helps you dodge surprise rain with last-minute warning 'But as the week goes on, it does turn a little bit cooler, with temperatures near or below average come Thursday.' The Met Office has also said that Scotland has seen more sunshine and higher temperatures compared to previous Augusts. The weather experts say that the 81 hours of sunshine we have had - without counting today – means the first half of the month has been 10 per cent brighter than the average. And temperatures are up, too, with 14.8C showing as the average temperature between night and day. That's 1.6C above a 'normal' August. Scotland's roads were packed at the weekend, with friends and families making the most of the sunshine. Today, queues have built up in the southbound approach to the Queensferry Crossing with people making for the Edinburgh Festival. It is also busy on the A720 Edinburgh ring road, with hold-ups between the Lasswade and Gilmerton junctions and again at Lothianburn.
