Ada Donaldson, a Midlothian grandmother, had always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights. She had travelled near and far, including trips to the north of Scotland and even flying to Iceland, in search of the elusive aurora. However, it was in her own back garden in Bilston where her dream finally came true.
The 62-year-old was left stunned when unusual solar activity caused the lights to appear right above her home. Ada expressed her joy, saying, “It has always been my dream to see the Northern Lights. To see them so close in my own village – dreams really do come true. I have been left disappointed so many times over the years. Then it happens on my doorstep. It was unbelievable.”
The recent solar wind activity on October 9 had caused the Northern Lights to be visible across the world. When solar particles collide with Earth’s atmosphere, it triggers a geomagnetic response known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), resulting in the beautiful aurora. Many stargazers in Scotland, including areas like Beith, Bathgate, Harthill, and Coatbridge, captured stunning images of the lights.
Ada, who is also a spiritual medium, reflected on a previous disappointing trip to Iceland in her quest to see the lights. She mentioned, “We travelled to Iceland a couple of years ago to do the Northern Lights tour. They do tell you that you might not see them – and we didn’t end up seeing a thing. That was really disappointing.”
Despite her previous unsuccessful attempts, Ada’s perseverance finally paid off when the Northern Lights made an appearance in her own village. She described the moment as magical and mentioned that the experience will stay with her forever. “I couldn’t believe it when I looked outside and there they were – it was the real McCoy. The photographs don’t do it justice,” she said.
Despite the disappointments and countless miles travelled in search of the Northern Lights, Ada’s patience and determination finally led to a memorable and awe-inspiring experience right in her own backyard. It goes to show that sometimes, dreams do come true when you least expect them to.