Ali Mclean

Ali Mclean

Credit Timo Halonen autumn NL

Timo Halonen and his wife Anne run Hotel Korpikartano an idyllic hotel in the breath-taking location of Menesjärvi in Finnish Lapland. Timo has a passion for photography and loves being out with his camera. We caught up with him after another fantastic Northern Lights season to talk about his love for photography and the magical Northern Lights.


Ali Mclean

Aurora in autumn 1

Another Aurora hunting season is drawing to a close in Northern Scandinavia. The Northern Lights will still be visible well into April but, during the 24-hour daylight of summer’s Midnight Sun, all an Aurora hunter can do is catch up on lost sleep and long for the darker nights of autumn.


Ali Mclean

Why You Should Travel To Lapland In Autumn

Written by Ali Mclean
Tuesday, 27 March 2018

March 2018 has been one of the best months for Auroral activity in many a long year, so we did some digging. The upshot of our research is that if you want to see the Northern Lights then some of your best chances are almost certainly around the vernal and autumnal equinoxes.

Markku Inkila Nellim Oct 14 resize


Ali Mclean

Here Comes The Sun

Written by Ali Mclean
Wednesday, 10 January 2018

IMG 5102 Credit Matt Robinson resized

There’s a bit of a myth perpetuated that it is pitch black north of the Arctic Circle for about six months every year. The truth is that, while the Sun does drop below the horizon for a while (how long depends on how far north you are), there is still residual light.


Ali Mclean

Reindeer Family and Me

Written by Ali Mclean
Thursday, 21 December 2017

Here at The Aurora Zone, we’re extremely fond of the Finnish people and especially the Sámi community, who are the indigenous people of Northern Scandinavia. So, imagine our excitement when we heard that BBC Two are doing a one-off boxing day show all about the lifestyle of the Sámi people and their reindeer herding heritage.

Credit Ville Heimonen


Ali Mclean

Follow in the footsteps of Blue Planet II

Written by Ali Mclean
Friday, 24 November 2017

Blue Planet II has been an amazing show, and if you're anything like us you’ll have sat in your favourite chair and watched it in wonder.

Here are three holidays to get you in the mood for some Blue Planet-style discovering, and of course, if you don’t spot some incredible marine life, you might just be in luck and see the Northern Lights instead!

Northern Lights at Otervika Kvaloya 05.02.2015 Copyright Gaute Bruvik Visitnorway.com credit Innovation Norway 2


Ali Mclean

HT4A8853 2

Our expert Aurora guide and CEO of the new Northern Lights Village in Saariselkä, Markku Inkilä is a self-proclaimed Aurora nut. He lives and breathes the Northern Lights and is rarely happier than when he is capturing them on camera. His photos have been published in the Sunday Times, the Telegraph, and on hundreds of websites around the world.


Ali Mclean

Iceland’s Blue Lagoon: one night - two bucket list items!

Written by Ali Mclean
Monday, 02 October 2017

I caught up with our Marketing Assistant Laura who had the most amazing first Northern Lights experience in Iceland. Here is what she had to say:

Please credit ThorirNK from Vik Iceland 1 2

'"After suffering serious wanderlust from seeing so many breathtaking photos of Iceland I knew I had to head out there and explore it for myself. So, in December 2016 I flew over for a week of Arctic adventure. I experienced waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes, boiling mud pools, stunning scenery - you name it - but one night stands out for me - the night I ticked two experiences off my travel bucket list.


Ali Mclean

Have you heard of 'Betwixmas'?

Written by Ali Mclean
Tuesday, 27 June 2017

 markku 39 2

How often have you returned to work in the New Year regretfully thinking,

“Why on earth didn’t I do something useful over the holiday period?”

That period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, Betwixmas if you like, must be the most neglected of the year. It’s a dead zone during which you know you should be doing something useful but simply can’t be bothered.


Ali Mclean

March 2017 – It’s been a crazy month for our Aurora hunters

Written by Ali Mclean
Friday, 31 March 2017

Here at The Aurora Zone we’ve seen something of a change in recent weeks. Naturally, as holiday providers and Northern Lights enthusiasts, we spend a lot of time travelling to the likes of FinlandSweden and Norway in search of dark skies illuminated by dancing celestial light.

March 1st francisco damm

(Taken 1st March 2017 in the Lyngen Alps by Francisco Damm)


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The Aurora Zone was born from a desire to share Mother Nature’s greatest wonder with our clients. We’ve explored the destinations, researched the science, and fallen in love with the Scandinavian way of life. It’s our mission to pass this knowledge on to you, providing you with the very best chance of experiencing the magic for yourself on your Northern Lights holiday.

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