What is a Brocken Spectre?

It's your own shadow projected onto a bank of mist or cloud below you, making it look like a giant three-dimensional figure standing in the sky. It happens when the sun is low and directly behind you, casting your shadow into the fog ahead.

When is the best time to see a Brocken Spectre in the UK?

Look for high-pressure winter days with temperature inversions, shortly after sunrise or just before sunset. You need calm, still conditions with cold air trapped in the valleys and clear, warm air on the summits.

Where in the UK can I see a Brocken Spectre?

The best spots are steep ridges with deep drops: Helvellyn's Striding Edge in the Lake District, Crib Goch in Snowdon, Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms, and Ben Nevis's summit plateau. You need a horseshoe ridge or glacial bowl where mist fills the void below you.

Weather The Elements

The Brocken Spectre

When you climb above the cloud layer in the UK hills, the sun can cast your shadow onto the mist below to create a massive, three-dimensional ghost of yourself surrounded by rainbow rings—a phenomenon called the Brocken Spectre that requires specific weather conditions, a bit of luck, and the sense to stop walking when the light starts to glow.

19 July 20269 min read