Norway is a great location to try Dog Sledding. I got a chance to visit Northern Norway during which I experience this adventure when I visited Tromso as part of a ten day Arctic Road Trip in winter with Arctic adventures in mind. I can easily say that Dog Sledding in Tromso Norway was one of the major highlights of the trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the drive to the dog sledding camp the country side, the ultimate husky ride experience in the snow wilderness and the camp site experience with Norwegian dishes to finish the day off. 

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Budget Friendly Dog Sledding Tours from Tromso

There are so many winter tour companies offering day trips to reindeer/ dog sledding adventures and snowmobiling in remote camp sites from Tromso. Almost all of them will pick you up from the city center. Make sure you check whether they provide the required clothing for the experience. We went with Lyngsford Adventure, a famous winter tours company that organizes dog sledding trips, who drove us to the beautiful Camp Site Tamok along a breath taking route. 

Most of these winter tours are usually fully booked and we struggled to find a spot at the last moment and had to get help from our Airbnb host, so I recommend BOOKING IN ADVANCE. You could choose Get Your Guide Tours for getting a full refund if you can’t make it. I have added a few links from Get Your Guide below that I think are the best value for money. 

• Husky Sledding in Tromso
• Husky Sledding with LunchTromso
• Husky Sledding + Aurora Chase, Tromso

Dog Sledding Tour in Camp Tamok

Camp Tamok is an hour and a half southward drive from Tromso near to the Swedish border and also very close to Lyngen Alps, where we spent a day during our road trip on our way back from Sweden to Norway. The Lyngsford Adventures tour bus picked us up from the Tromso city centre early in morning and this scenic bus ride reminded me of my childhood journeys to visit my grand parents at the Wayanad hill station in Kerala. The scenery contrast was a stark contrast from the green rain forest view to white frozen snow view.

The scenic bus ride was spectacular and no matter how hard we tried to take pictures from the moving bus they didn’t do it justice so we settled for just admiring the view as we went. This was one of the most beautiful bus rides I have ever taken. Our first encounter with Camp Tamok was the barking of the sled dogs (huskies)  in small sheds in a snow filled forest. The camp is absolutely stunning consisting of amazing snow huts and a backdrop of Norwegian fjords.

Camp Tamok Experience

Upon arrival, we were greeted by welcoming staff and were taken to a changing room where the team explained  about the activity and the gear they provide (they had a wide selection of sizes). All of us were kitted up in a snow suite, boots, gloves and the classic viking leather hats. Once we were fully equipped to go out in the snow, we were divided into groups and introduced to our sled guide  who took us on a dog tour introducing us to the huskies that were going to take us forward in the snow. Our guide was a husky trainer from Poland who spends the winter in Norway. He is a winter adventure fan who loves country skiing and dog sledding. My friends and I and formed our own team and I got to ride with the guide.

READ: Ultimate Guide to Chasing Northern Lights

Dog Sledding Adventure: Preparation and Logistics

The sledding is done in pairs with one person sitting and the other one controlling the movements. The driver is responsible for activating the snow break on the sledge, essentially an anchor that you could stand on, to maintain the correct speed and give the dogs a helping hand on steep inclines. 

Once we were all comfortable, we began our sledding journey through the trails in the snow forest in the Norwegian fjords. With no prior experience around huskies or skiing, I decided to sit back and be sledded I know so lame, but my friends loved it so don’t be like me. Go for it!

We started off the 12 km trail with plenty of stops at first while we got use to it however once everyone got a hang of things learning the basic techniques, , we started moving ahead fast and it felt thrilling just like being a roller coaster. Sometimes when we encountered a narrow section steering presented more of a challenge, however overall the pace was good and made for a very enjoyable ride.

After a while we got to the open snow field with majestic mountains all around us making for a splendid view. Folks also go on a dog sledding northern lights tour in the evening to try chasing northern lights and I could imagine how that would have been a rewarding experience. 

Break time during the dog sledding adventure

We were out for 1.5 hours sledding but we did stop for a quarter of an hour break in the middle of the mountains. Here you can switch the roles as driver and sitter as well as the opportunity to chat with the guide as well as getting to to know the dogs better.

Is Dog Sledding Cruel?

 I know what you are thinking, is it easy for the dogs to carry you? You can see they do struggle a little bit on steep uphill stretches, but they are well trained for this and the number of dogs chosen is based upon the weight they have to carry. All of us enjoyed spending some time with the huskies, and learning their names which I have now forgetton. Kishore on the left particularly enjoyed playing with the dogs. And of course we clicked lot of pictures as usual.

This was the first time I actually decided to be close to a dog, as I’d had a bad childhood experience being chased by a dog and I am still scared of them. I really loved seeing the energy and excitement of these huskies and tried to hug them, with a little hidden fear of course. I guess the padded winter suit helped elevate my confidence :).

Camping Experience at the Camp Tamok

After the 1.5-hour dog sledding adventure we were back at the camp which was beautifully lit up welcoming us for a hot drink in one of the Lavvos (tent like structures).

The Lavvo entrance reminded me of  the Vikings and their boats from outside. This camp tent was very intriguing and a traditional Norwegian experience was waiting for us inside.

Inside was a complete contrast to the outside, with an amazing campfire and seating making this cosy experience just perfect after our freezing adventure. We were all seated on chairs with reindeer skin and were served some reindeer soup. The soup was unlimited and my friends manged 8 or so rounds as they had worked up quite an appetite sledding.  What is even better? Gluten free bread was available for Marc who often has to skip  these delicious food items, now you know who had the 8 rounds. At the same time, poor Kishore, being a vegan, found this experience a bit daunting with the animal skin and soup. So if you are sensitive to this you may want to skip this part. I personally found this heart and body warming and it was perfect moment to think a bit about the Vikings history.

Want to book dog sledding in Tromso Norway?

Here are some top options from Get Your Guide, which is a great safe booking option as they fully refund you if you don’t make it.

1. Husky Sledding in Tromso
2. Husky Sledding with Lunch in Tromso Norway
3. Husky Sledding + Aurora or Northern Lights Chasing in Tromso Norway

What to Wear/Carry during Arctic Adventures?

1. Warm woolen underwear or thermals – Merino wools
2. Cap or bands to keep your ears warm
3. Fleece
4. Circle Neck Scarf
5. Winter boots
6. Ski pants- if you have not tried these before, skiing pants make your arctic adventure much more comfortable
7. Action Camera
8. Water bottle

My circular faux fur scarf from Accessorize was a life saver for me during my trip to the Arctic. It helped a lot with keeping my head, neck and face warm when needed and I found it just perfect. I lent the scarf to another friend when she visited Tromso and she  thought the scarf was a life saver too. I fully recommend it as it is one of my most important winter possessions, suiting any cold environment which I later tested out in Toronto Canada during winter as well.

Final Thoughts on the Dog Sledding Experience in Tromso Norway

I thought dog sledding was a very memorable adventure and fully worth the money we paid for it. It was a perfect Arctic day to remember, getting to experience the huskies and to sled in the ultimate cold weather. The whole team in Campo Tamok made this dog sledding experience very welcoming, comfortable and enjoyable.

It was such a fantastic memory, I bought myself a husky soft toy to act as my  virtual guard dog, complete with a motion sensor attached to him. 

Other Things to do in Tromso in Winter

This dog sledding adventure was done as part of my road trip to Arctic for ten days, including three days in Tromso in winter.

We mostly spent our nights Aurora chasing and exploring Tromso during the day time as we were on a road trip and rented car. If you don’t have a car I would advise going on an Aurora chase tour to try and maximise your chances. Also I think it is well worth taking the Funicular for a top view of Tromso and going for a  whale watching experience as I mention in my guide.

READ: 3 Days in Tromso in Winter

Pin This Post for Planning Your Dog Sledding Adventure

Guide To Chasing Northern Lights: Key Information

I spent a week road tripping in the north of Norway, Sweden and Finland, in January 2019, and had my first Aurora Borealis experience in Abisko National Park, Sweden. I will also share the Aurora experience from a group of my friends who visited Tromso one week after my trip, as well as tips and tricks to see them in Alaska, Finland and Scotland shared by other travellers. 

Why am I writing this guide?

Before we jump into the practical tips, let us first look into what causes the Northern Lights as a phenomenon we all die to experience and which are the top countries to see them in based on their location. If you know all this feel free to jump to the practical tips section.

What Causes Northern Lights or Aurora?

The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, is a renowned magical light show in the night sky caused by solar particles/wind entering the Earth’s atmosphere in the north/south poles. When interacting with the magnetic field of earth, they get ionized creating shades of dancing light in the night sky- the usual color is green, but sometimes you can also see shades of purple, pink, orange and blue. I do not want to talk about the science of Aurora, which is fascinating by the way and can be watched shortly here. The focus of this blog is on identifying the best places to see the northern lights phenomenon in real life.  Let us get started (:waves:) 

There are four major questions to find answers for when planning a trip to see the Auroras- where to see the Northern Lights, the best time to see the Northern lights, how long to go for and how to increase your chances of seeing the Northern lights. Keep in mind that Aurora Borealis is a very unpredictable natural phenomenon and it is a good idea to be prepared as best you can to maximise your chance of seeing them, especially if you are travelling a long distance to fulfil this dream.

• You can see the Aurora only near the poles, so either the Antarctic Circle in the South or the Arctic Circle in the North. This is due to the earth’s magnetic field interaction in these places. The lights in the Arctic Circle are called the Northern Lights and the lights in the Antarctic Circle are called the Southern Lights.
• A clear night sky is must to see the Northern or Southern Lights with your naked eyes. If the sun is still up or there is cloud coverage then they won’t be visible. Additionally rural areas are best compared to cities as they don’t suffer from light pollution as much.
• The intensity of the lights you observe depends on the solar activity in the area, which is the acceleration of solar particles hitting earth’s atmosphere. This means, it is not guaranteed that you will see the dancing lights we ll love to see in all those cool videos. There will always be an element of luck to see them on any particular day.

Where to See Northern Lights?

Now that we know we can only see the Lights only near the poles, let us look at the  major countries on the planet which are close to the poles and gives you that best chance to see the lights. Let’s take a quick look at the countries that are closest to the poles: 

National Geographic lists the countries close to the poles as the top destinations for Aurora viewing, which matches the geography details above. Please don’t plan a trip aiming to see the Northern Lights by seeing pictures of Switzerland or other places with the lights photoshopped in.  So if you are chasing Auroras, countries in the Arctic circle are your best bet.

Top Countries to see Northern Lights

• Iceland
• North Sweden (Abisko, Kiruna)
• North Finland
• Northern Canada
• Alaska, USA
• Greenland
• Scotland, UK

Top Countries to see Southern Lights

• Antartica
• New Zealand
• Tasmania, Australia

Arctic Scandinavia Road Trip Planner

Doing the above studies, I planned a one week road trip to the north of Scandinavia to see the Northern lights aiming to cover Norway, Sweden and Finland, staying in their major cities, Tromso, Abisko and Lyngen. I chose some of the best places to see the Northern lights in Scandinavia,  not just to chase the auroras, but also to explore other Arctic adventures like dog sledding and whale watching during this time. We were so lucky to see the Northern Lights in Abisko National Park, Sweden. It was pretty cool to drive around in the twilight watching the stunning snow scenery throughout.  Here is the road trip route I took during my trip.

READ: Dog Sledding in Tromso Norway

In the world, there are only few places where you can really enjoy the northern lights. To see them, you have to be in a country or region that is near Arctic Circle- Norway, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Scotland, Alaska and some parts of Canada. In this section we have a comprehensive list of all the top locations to plan a Northern lights viewing trip across major countries along with a overview of the highlights for that location.

For every top countries to visit to see Northern Lights I will cover best places to see Northern lights within Norway, Sweden, Finland, Alaska and Scotland. If you are going to Iceland, best time to see the Northern lights in Iceland is very similar to the locations covered below.

Best places to see Northern Lights in Norway

Norway is one of the top countries to see the Northern lights and below are the top locations situated in the North of Norway.

1. Lofoten Islands
2. Svalbard
3. North Cape
4. Kirkenes
5. Tromso
6. Geirangerfjord
7. Longyearbyen
8. Nordkapp (North Cape)
9. Andalsnes

The Lofoten Islands is a famous fishing village with some amazing mountains and houses, it is a very famous touristic destination in Norway during all seasons. Svalbard is the Northern most city and the hardest to get to, but that is where the polar bear lives- so one can go there to see the lights and the bears together North Cape is great for a wildlife adventure, again in the North close to Svalbard. Kirkenes is a little town close to Russia which is famous for northern lights viewing. Tromso, also known as the Arctic Capital, is a charming city and is very accessible and cheap compared to the others, with so many flight options to the international airport located here.  I decided to go to Tromso since I saw some videos of this pretty town in some travel blogs and I can easily say that the three days I spent in Tromso during the winter is easily one of the most charming winter wonderlands city experiences ever. 

Best Time to see Northern Lights in Norway

The best time to see Northern Lights in Norway is between the months of September and March when it’s dark all day and night long. Northern lights can be seen in Norway as early as September and as late as April. There’s a good chance to see northern lights in the sky at night from October, November and December. 

Chasing Northern Light Tromso Norway

In Tromso city, if you climb up the funicular you will get a great view of the city (best city view I have ever seen in my life so far, don’t miss it if you go) and the Northern lights view from here on a clear sky is unbeatable. I was not lucky during my visit, but I have seen plenty of dreamy pictures taken from here. 

READ: Road Trip in Tromso in Winter

There are so many Northern Lights chasing tours from Tromso from various tour operators. If you have a car and would like to try chasing the northern lights yourself, here are some of the top locations around Tromso to drive into. 

• Tromso City
• Kvaloya
• Ersfjordbotn
• Lyngen

The Lyngen Alps area is located a bit out of Tromso and is a very nice location in the country side to hunt auroras. This area is filled with Fjords and there are many activities here including dog sledding and snowmobiling. There are multiple day excursions from Tromso for all of these if you don’t want to travel to Lyngen yourself. You could also take part in winter adventures like dog sledding and whale watching combined with Northern Lights viewing. I have done both of these activities separately and I can only imagine how awesome it must be to see the lights in the midst of the Norwegian fjords.

• Whale Watching Tours in the Fjords
• Dog Sledding Northern Lights Tour, Tromso

 I was not lucky to see the lights in Tromso, but my friends saw them during their trip with the company Tromso Safari. I am sharing some of their best shots. They saw the lights around the Fjords, how cool! 

We both went with the company Tromso Safari as their Facebook page shows lot of pictures everyday. I would recommend taking an orgainsed trip by an agency as they know exactly where to go and have agents everywhere to try and maximise your chance to see the lights and conveniently you can board the Tromso Safari bus directly from the Tromso city center which is great, especiallyif you don’t have your own transport.

Best places to see Northern Lights in Sweden

Northern Sweden has one of the most magical locations and centers for Aurora viewing with a dedicated Aurora Sky Station in Abisko. The top cities in Sweden to see the Aurora include:

1. Kiruna
2. Abisko
3. Jukkasjarvi
4. Laponia
5. Karesuando
6.  Pajala

I visited Abisko and Kiruna during my trip, staying in Abisko National Park for two days where I had my first Northern Lights viewing experience. This national park is just amazing in winter.

Best Time to see Northern Lights in Sweden

Best time to see Northern Lights in Sweden is between December and March. Northern lights appear best at North Sweden during the winter months, from December through March. In Kiruna, you can see it as early as September too.

Chasing Northern Lights in Abisko, Sweden

Abisko is a very worthwhile location to target for Northern Lights viewing with the opportunity to see the lights as well as explore a completely frozen national park and lakes in winter. We saw the lights from the Aurora View point in the Kappas Cabin Village, near Abisko National Park.

 My first Aurora experience was in Abisko, Sweden on the second day of our ten day long road trip. My friends and I waited for over 4 hours before we had this experience as it was very cloudy initially and took a while for the skies to clear. I had attempted to capture pictures from when the sky started to clear to when the lights appeared and created a short video out of it to try and give you a feeling of the experience.

Best Places to See Northern Lights in Finland

Some of the most popular locations for northern lights in Finland are:

1. Rovaniemi – where Santa Claus resides
2. Ruka
3. Levi
4. Sariselka
5. Ivalo
6. Kevo, Finnish Lapland
7. Sörnäinen, Helsinki
8. Inari, Finnish Lapland (Enontekiö)

Finland is one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. Considering the country’s extent, your chances of seeing this natural phenomenon increases significantly if you head north to Lapland. Although the northern lights are visible on numerous nights even from the capital, Helsinki, if you have a couple of extra days to travel more, you won’t regret it. The Lappish landscape is magical, especially in winter. You can observe the sky surrounded by gorgeous snow-covered trees, hike to the fells or see reindeer passing by.

The more north, the better. In case you try your own luck, dress warm and preferably stay close to parking lots not to get lost in the wilderness. The best is to choose a southern edge of a lake, so the horizon is well visible towards the northern pole. Although most of these settlements are relatively small, go outside of them to reduce light pollution. Numerous companies offer northern lights tours, for example, by snowmobiles, so if you don’t fancy winter driving or are concerned with orientation, pick one with an experienced guide. The best months to observe the lights are early fall or late winter to spring when the sky is less likely to be covered with thick clouds.

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Finland

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Finland is from September to early March

Best Places to See Northern Lights in Scotland

Some of the top locations to see Northern lights in Scotland are:

1. John O’Groats
2. Orkney Islands
3. Shetland
4. Lerwick, Shetland Islands (Hollingsworth Bay)
5. Elgol, Isle of Skye

While Scotland isn’t an Arctic country it is far enough north that it is possible to see the northern lights from various locations.  In the south of Scotland the light pollution from Edinburgh, Glasgow and some of the larger towns can make seeing the lights difficult, but the further north you travel the more remote the landscape becomes and the more likely it is to have a proper dark sky.  

Unlike Norway, Sweden and Iceland, Scotland needs solar activity to be slightly higher for the northern lights to be visible.  A lot of the displays are lower intensity with low arcs and pillars being more common than the more intense displays.

One of the best places to see the northern lights is along the coast near to John O’Groats.  The low sea cliffs and views to the horizon across the sea maker for the perfect landscape. This gives a clear sky although Orkney can obscure lower intensity displays.  

Heading to Orkney or Shetland can provide the perfect conditions for hunting down the northern lights.  In Orkney the main island has a number of clear horizons that are perfect for viewing the northern lights safely.  Similarly, Shetland has some good viewing locations and given its latitude being similar to Bergen it needs a lower level of activity to see the northern lights.

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Scotland

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Scotland is from  October to March

Best Places to See Northern Lights in Alaska, North America

Best places to see Northern lights in Alaska include:

1. Fairbanks
2. Ester
3. Haystack Mountain
4. Murphy Domes
5. Wickersham.
6. Utqiagvik

Alaska is one of the major North American destinations to see Northern lights from and one of the places where the lights are visible for almost 7 months in a year.  

I witnessed Alaska’s outstanding northern lights display when visiting in late August on an Alaskan Cruise. While sailing the open seas off the western coast of Alaska, I stood in awe, staring up at the magnificent light show in the sky. In 2017 I returned to Alaska to the city of Fairbanks. While the northern lights I saw on the cruise were inspiring, nothing compared to what I saw in Fairbanks. The famous gold rush boomtown of Fairbanks is well-known as the best place for aurora viewing in Alaska. From here, I drove around 15 miles to Cleary Summit—an ideal spot offering a scenic view of the horizon. 

If you are planning on chasing the northern lights in Alaska, my top recommendation is Fairbanks. Countless tour companies in the area offer in-depth knowledge and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will increase your chances of seeing the northern lights. The city of  Utqiagvik, Alaska is also home to the Top of the World Hotel which hosts excellent aurora tours and outdoor adventures.

The best time to see northern lights is during winter when northern state experiences long nights. While you may be able to catch glimpses of this breath taking phenomenon throughout the state, sticking between 65° N and 70° N latitude will maximize your chances. 

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Alaska, North America

Best Time to See Northern Lights in Alaska is from mid September to late April.

Best time to see Northern Lights

The best time to see the Northern Lights in all the countries is during winter time which is usually between the months of September and March in the Arctic Circle North. Winter is when the night skies are darkest and for the longest duration which maximizes your chances. I personally picked to go in extreme winter, January, when the Arctic North region only had about one hour of sun light per day.

Guide to Chasing Northern Lights: Top 3 Practical Tips

We have shortlisted the countries to go for and know the best time to plan our trip, let us now look into what are the best tips to see the Northern lights including how to maximize our chances of seeing the lights and which are the target top locations in a country. 

Northern Lights are very unpredictable. You can hardly predict when and where they will appear. They usually appear in the winter but it still depends on weather conditions such as cloudiness, rain or snow storms causing darkness at night. The temperature should also be low below -25 C for them to shine brightly!

1- Monitoring the Weather

From points 2 and 3 in the section What Causes Northern Lights?, it is obvious that this is a natural and unpredictable phenomenon and the Weather is the key determining factor for your experience- it can really be your angel or devil. There are two major players:

Solar Activity: (Your turn to be an Astronomer)

You can only see the Northern lights when there is solar activity in your area, which means when the solar particles hit the atmosphere and cause the light effects. For tracking this, scientists create something called an Ovation Map using real time data about the solar winds and forecast it regularly (thanks to advancements in technology). With this map, you can monitor locations from where the Aurora may be visible during a time period. The model also tells us the strength of the predicted Aurora with a metric marked by Kp.  Kp> 2 means there is high solar activity in a given area and you will likely see Auroras if the sky is clear.

Cloud Cover: (Your turn to be a Weather Expert)

We need a clear sky, as non-cloudy as possible to see the lights with naked eye as lights are far above the clouds. Clouds will block your view even if there is high solar activity (Kp>2 :wink:) so you will also need some Cloud-God blessing

I hope I have not scared you away with all these details, but don’t worry about all the science and details about being an astronomer or a weather expert, there are apps for everything these days

2- Use an Aurora Forecast Application

Keep Calm and download the Aurora app which gives you all the weather information in one place. My favourite application that I found handy is the My Aurora Forecast. The interface is easy and shown below. You can choose your location and it shows you the cloud coverage and solar activity in selected area. It shows the Kp value, cloud coverage and even the viewing probability. 

3- Stay for a Week

Try to stay in these places for a week to maximize your chances and rule out bad-weather days. Typically a week is good with at least 3 days dedicated to see the lights themselves.

4- Practical Tips to Find Top Northern Lights Locations

We now know where to book our flights to and also have the application installed and learned how the weather chasing works.  You still need to know which parts of the city should you choose to watch the Auroras. This was the biggest part of my research as I already knew I would go to Arctic Scandinavia. I found the following method the best during my own research.

1- Chase Hashtags and Pictures from Reliable sources

I spent some time looking at the top Aurora pictures posted on Facebook by travel companies that offer Northern Lights viewing tours and traced the location of their pictures. You can also check the Instagram hashtags #aurora or #northernlights, but note that many times they only have the main city name. What worked for me the best to spot locations was by  tracking pictures uploaded by top photographers in 500pix.com. Believe it or not, this was an epic idea, as many photographers had tagged locations and I pinned them all to check out. In my case, I was going to drive around Tromso, Abisko and through Finland and by doing this activity, I created a list of all the locations that I would try driving through to chase the Auroras (shared below).

2- Trust the Travel Agencies

The best advice for someone who does want to go on road trip by yourself is really to pay for the agencies if you can afford to. These agencies have so many different aurora viewing camps in different regions around a city and they have their agents constantly watching the sky. This network makes it easy for them to communicate if the Northern Lights are seen in one location and they will quickly take you to the right places. It is a bit expensive, approximately €100 or so per person, so if you can’t afford it you can try chasing the northern lights yourself by going to right locations.

Having said that, northern Arctic cities are very famous for Aurora and if there is a clear sky you can see them anywhere. Weather is really the key player.

Guide to Chasing Northern Lights: Final Thoughts

Northern lights viewing is definitely a once in a lifetime experience for those who are not lucky enough to live in the above destinations. If you have this on your bucket list and want to plan your dream trip, I hope this guide helps.

Both of the weather elements are not in our control and hence you can only hope for the weather to be in your favour for your visit. Given this, you still can maximize your chances if you stay in these places for a longer period of time to try and find some good  weather days. I did my trip for a week and unfortunately/fortunately only saw Aurora on one day as it was cloudy almost every other day (:unlucky:). However when my friends visited just after a week we did, they saw the lights beautifully with high solar activity in Tromso. Keep exploring!

Pin this Guide for Future Reference!

Where to Watch Dolphins in Scotland

• Moray Firth, Inverness
• North Kessock Village, Inverness
• Spey Bey Dolphin centre, Inverness
• Chanonry Point, Inverness
• Cromarty Firth- watch from the Cromarty bridge
• Aberdeen Harbour
• Staffa / Isle of Mull
• Isle of Skye (Mealt Falls)

Dolphins can be seen from the Scotland mainland as well as by taking boat tours both in Moray Firth and in the islands of Scotland. I recommend the land experience if you don’t want to spend money on a boat tour. It is not only very budget-friendly but purely an extraordinary experience.

Dolphin Watching in Scotland from Land

Out of all the top places listed above, the locations near Inverness are where you can see the dolphins swimming from the land. The Black Isle sea around Moray Firth, the east coast of Scotland, has lots of bottlenose dolphins, where you can watch the dolphins swimming and playing just from the shore, 10 meters in front of you.

Dolphin watching Boat Tours in Moray Firth and Islands

Islands where you can see dolphins include Isle of Mull and Isle of Skye. In these regions, you can take boat tours to see dolphins swim in the sea. Moray Firth in Inverness also offers boat tours for dolphin watching.

• Dolphin Watching Trip in Moray Firth : Dolphin spirit is a famour tour in this area
• Dolphin & Whale Watching in Scottish Highlands
• Black Isle Day Tour

Best Time To See Dolphins in Scotland

The best time to see dolphins in Scotland is the summertime from the end of May until September, though dolphins are here throughout the year. Best time of the day to see dolphins are in the low tide time in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon. It is best to check the tide time of the day you are visiting to increase your chances of seeing the dolphins.

Dolphin Watching in Inverness, Scotland

Inverness is a perfect base to plan your dolphin-watching adventure in Scotland. Located in the starting point of the famous North Coast 500 route, this town has a lot of attractions to offer like the Inverness castle and many scenic drives including around Loch Ness. Most of the land watching spots for dolphins are located in this area. Many of these locations are within 1-hour walking distance within the Inverness city center.

In Chanonry Point in Fortrose and in the North Kessock village, you will find lots of photographers and locals waiting for few hours at the beach around the tide time to capture the dolphins. Bring your binoculars and tripods during your trip.

Map of Inverness, City in Scottish Highlands

If you would like to get hold of a map of Inverness, you can download it from the 4umaps. com.

READ: Scotland road Trip Itinerary for 2 weeks in Scottish Highlands

Dolphin Watching at Chanonry Point Inverness

Chanonry Point is one of the most popular spots in Inverness to see the dolphins swim from the land. Land watching dolphins is a prime activity here. Chanonry Point has a lighthouse and is popular for lots of sea activities for example kayaking, sailing, etc. You can also take your water sports equipment and head out into the sea to see the dolphins up close to here. It is perfect for families to take kids and pets here and they can play at the beach, watch the sea and ships while waiting for the dolphins. Chanonry Point is located between Fortrose and Rosemarkie on the Black Isle and has its own car park. You should not miss the perfect chance to see the dolphins here – One of the Free Scottish Wildlife Experience.

Best Time to See Dolphins in Chanonry Point

Dolphins in Chanonry point appear around the rising tide time and the best time to see them is 1 hour after the low tide time. One can check the tide time for a given day on WillyWeather and time your visit to 1 hour afterward. I would recommend getting there early to make sure to get a parking spot, we were so lucky to have gotten the last spot.

Checking the Tide Times for Dolphin Watching

On the willyweather website, you can enter the region and find the tide times as in the screenshot below. Look for the low tide time in this area and then aim to get to Chanonry point around 1 hour after.

Planning and Reaching Chanonry Point

We checked the WillyWeather site before the night for the low tide time and reached the point at about 10 am when the low tide time was marked 9 am. We were traveling by car as we were on a road trip and initially when we arrived it was disheartening as all the parking spots were taken, but then a couple left and we managed to get a space.

Top Tip: Go early to secure a parking spot, this is a free experience in demand.

Public Transport to Chanonry Point: Dolphin Shuttle Bus

If you don’t want to be bothered about parking or are not visiting by car, or don’t want to walk far, you can take a Dolphin shuttle bus to Chanonry point.

Chanonry Point Coast: Lighthouse and Beach

Chanonry Point is a great place to hang out in Scotland with lots of water sports activities ongoing and a stunning lighthouse. We first roamed around the lighthouse, where you will also see lots of folks reading a book and having brunch. It is a great idea to grab a bite here by the sea.

READ: Best Scottish Towns and Villages

There are plenty of sea activities here with multiple ships and yachts sailing by and there were also folks enjoying a kayak here. A great way to keep entertained is by waiting for dolphins to arrive.

This below ship when emerged which reminded me of many stories including the Norwegian Vikings, Copenhagen, Portugal, and even India.

Chanonry Point Dolphin Watching Experience

After waiting for almost two hours, we started to see dolphins appear.

Vow, the excitement was real and almost felt like seeing the whales when they were far away, but as promised they came really close to the land in their pods. This is an unbeatable experience to see dolphins swim so close to you, playing and throwing salmon fish around. They were swimming close by for over 1 hour while we were there and we had to leave to see other attractions but trust me, I wished I could just watch them all day.

The weather was really bad and windy, and I still curse myself for not taking an action camera with me as getting stable footage was nearly impossible. Here is a simple video we compiled with all our footage. It is a bit long, but we have managed to catch the dolphins throwing the fish in this video.

Top Tips for Dolphin Watching in Scotland

• Check Tide Time: Check the tide time and go this is really important to go close to a time when dolphins appear.
• Photography: Carry a tripod, binocular and a zoom lens. Set your camera and be ready to click some amazing shots. GoPro or any other action camera will be great to get some action shots here both the dolphins when they arrive as well as the water sports etc.
• Be Patient: If you have gone in the specified time after checking for the time of low tide, there is a big chance you will see them. Going at the right time is important and then not giving up too. I saw lot of folks waiting for only half an hour before leaving and missing their chance to see which it is a shame.
• Dress appropriately: It can be pretty windy and cold, so it’s best to go all prepared in windcheaters etc. so that you can stay longer without being frustrated.
• Go with food or other things to do at the beach to not give up easily as you might end up waiting for 1-2 hours. Trust me it is worth it, so why not turn it into a picnic and plan a meal there.
• Bring your kids: If you got kids, they will be more than thrilled to have this experience. The big me, was jumping up and down watching the dolphins swim. I almost thought my kids are getting a treat in Scotland one day

Types of Dolphins in Scotland

Some of the popular Dolphin species to see in Scotland include:

• Bottlenose dolphin
• Orca (killer whale)
• Minke whale
• Risso’s dolphin
• Common dolphin

Bottlenose dolphins are the most popular native wild animals to see in Scotland, these are almost 5 meters in length and are grey in color. They are always found in groups called dolphin pods and are renowned for being playful. These dolphins are hence the fattest in the world as they have extra fat to help them survive the cold. Though the water is cold here and dolphins usually prefer warm water, they are here for the Scottish Atlantic salmon. The North sea area of Scotland is filled with Salmon. You can see dolphins out during the tidal times as the salmon fish gets caught in tide and dolphins pods come to catch them. The most exciting sight is to see the dolphins throw the fish in the water. And you can see all that just from the land in some of these spots.

Other Things to do in Inverness

Inverness city has a lot of Scottish attractions and landmarks that are worth a visit. Some of my top recommendations include:

• Inverness Cathedral
• Inverness Castle : one of the best castles in Scotland
• Ness Islands
• Ness Walk

Inverness is also a major location for those who are aiming for their ultimate Scottish highland experience, seeing as many lochs, driving the scenic NC500 route, or even chasing some of the top Harry Potter destinations. For those who cannot drive, here are some of the top guided tours in this area:

• Chase the Jacobite train and live your Harry Potter Dream
• Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle
• Loch Ness, Whiskey and Outlander Tour

Pin this post to plan your dolphin watching adventures!

If you are considering a trip to Scotland, and want to see salmon leaping in their natural habitat, then this article has some great information for you on where to see salmon leaping in Scotland. We have compiled the best places in to see Salmon Leaping in Scotland that offer a chance to witness these beautiful creatures jump out of water while they migrate upstream, a unique experience not to miss in your wildlife bucket list. Salmon leaping Scotland was one of the most memorable experiences in a two week road trip to Scottish highlands, which was filled with many wildlife encounters.

Best Places to See Salmon Leaping in Scotland

Top places to see salmon leaping in Scotland are scattered around the country- both salmon ladders as well as open waters.

1. Rogie Falls: Rogie falls near Inverness in the North, is an ideal spot in a river to watch salmon leaping up waterfall against heavy and very high waterfall. This is perfect stop for an NC500 road trip, and the waterfall is very near to the car park.
2. Pitlochry Dam: Pitlochry dam has a salmon fish ladder and there is a viewing room here for visitors to watch salmon leaping through the fish pass upstream. Pitlochry is one of the scenic towns in Scotland perfect for a staycation too and can be a day trip from Loch Lomond or Edinburgh.
3. Falls of Shin: Falls of Shin in the North of Scotland has a viewing area too to watch the salmons jump against the waterfall. The salmons are visible here from March until Autumn. another spot to catch during a NC500 road trip. There is a visitor centre here with spots to grab food/coffee as well.
4. Glen Tanar: Glen Tanar in Cairngorms National Park is another spot for watching salmon leap, by the river Tanar. Glen Tanar estate offers so many other Scottish activities in this area making it a perfect staycation spot. Glen Tanar is the closest from the Aberdeen area.
5. Hermitage: The Hermit woodland walk in Dunkeld is perfect treat in autumn with grand leaf peeping view and the waterfall here is a top spot for seeing salmons leap. This is in the north of Edinburgh and worth a day trip from Edinburgh with other attractions like the Beatrix Potter Garden around.
6. Philiphaugh Salmon Viewing Centre: This dedicated salmon viewing centre is in Selkrik in south east of Scotland closer to England Scottish borders. In this salmon viewing area by River Ettrick, you can watch not just the Atlantic salmon jump, but also kingfisher, heron, dippers, goosander and otters in spring and autumn months.

READ: Best Scottish Towns and Villages in Scotland

When visiting Scotland in the salmon season, be sure to go and visit one of these amazing places near your destination. This is an experience that will make you feel all warm inside when it succeeds just like this fish did! Bring your camera for a cool photo opportunity with this special catch.

Best Time to See Salmon Leaping in Scotland

The best time to view the salmon leaping in Scotland is from October and November. This is when they are migrating upstream, which makes for some incredible viewing opportunities. There are places where you can see them through Fall to Spring- from September to April. The best time of day to see salmons is generally early morning or early evening.

Watching Salmon Leaping in Rogie Falls, Scotland

Rogie Falls is one of the most popular destinations in Scotland during salmon leaping season. Rogie Falls is a popular black water river with an iconic suspension bridge, offering a scenic walk through the Abernethy forest. The falls are located on the River Rogie, attracts hikers and fishermen alike as well to enjoy its rugged scenery amid rolling hillsides covered by pine trees – all while exploring these beautiful waters!

Rogie Falls is very close to Inverness, Loch Ness, Ullapool and the NC500 route. You can travel here from any of these places or route. The falls is seen from a suspension bridge which is pretty spot and is easily walkable from the main parking spot.

Top Tip: Try to go as early as possible to find a spot in the parking lot as it can be filled easily.

In the summer of 2020, we visited the Rogie Falls during a road trip covering NC500 and Scottish highlands.

How to get to Rogie Falls?

From the parking lot, the walk way is a marked forest footpath with rocky terrain. As you get close to the falls, it’s easy to spot and can be viewed from a suspension bridge that is easily walkable. s. Follow the path marked in red and green and enjoy this adventurous walk through the forest, with some downhill and uphill, not that tiring. Walking here in the midst of the pine before reaching the falls, was enjoyable. You will spot the suspension bridge from where you can see the Falls.

READ: Ultimate Scotland Road Trip Itinerary for two weeks

Public Transport: If you are not driving you can take a bus between Ullapool and Invernes

Watching Salmon Leaping

We had to keep looking at the waterfalls for a while when we spotted the salmon leaping up against the waterfall. It was incredible to watch salmon trying again and again to jump high to cross the waterfall. If someone told you “Dont Give Up”, here is an example. We started capturing a shot for a while and didn’t succeed. Having a Zoom camera helps a lot to get the shot and you need quick actions shots.

Salmon Leaping Footage from Rogie Falls

When my friends tried to snap their wildlife photography techniques, I took the clever approach of filming a long video. My battery had been killing me so bad that it actually paid off in the end when I captured one. I kept shooting one minute videos and erasing them until I actually caught a shot of salmon jumping and salmon succeeding. You should have seen me celebrating then

Final Thoughts on Watching Salmon Leaping in Scotland

Scotland is the perfect place to see salmon. You’ve seen salmon jumping in the rivers and streams of Scotland, but have you ever seen them leaping up waterfalls? If not, we encourage you to check out some of these best places. The experience is sure to be exhilarating for both children and adults alike!

Other Scotland Experiences Not To Miss

• Dolphin Watching in Inverness, Scotland
• Wild Animals in Scotland and Where to Find Them
• Best Castles in Scotland