Thurso fireworks compete for attention with northern lights

Thurso's annual fireworks display found itself competing for attention with an even more spectacular natural phenomenon – the aurora borealis.

The northern lights lit up the sky above the town on Saturday night as the local Rotary Club was staging its own annual spectacle at the beach.

The event went ahead in cold but calm conditions with a big turnout by the public at Thurso's Esplanade.

One social media user commented on the Rotary Club's Facebook page: "Well done on an amazing show, and kudos for arranging the aurora to be putting on a show at the same time! Great turnout and the weather couldn’t have been better. We appreciate your hard work pulling it all together."

Some of the local cold-water swimmers watched the show while enjoying a dip in the bay.

The long-running Rotary fireworks display is funded entirely by donations.

The aurora made another appearance on Sunday night above Caithness and many other parts of the country.

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