WATCH: What is that in sky above Strathspey?
A very rare atmospheric phenomena was spotted in the sky above Strathspey yesterday.
Nacreous clouds occur at very high altitude and are illuminated from below and often glow in vivid colours.
Boat of Garten resident and keen photographer and astronomer Graham Hazlegreaves caught this footage and pictures of the two large thin discs of cloud from his garden.
He can be heard saying this is 'this is just getting better' and 'absolutely stunning' as he captured the rare clouds.
The base height of the clouds often occurs at more than 50,000 feet.
Mr Hazlegreaves told the Strathy: "The video was captured on my iPhone at 5pm from my garden in Boat of Garten. The video shows nacreous clouds which typically are visible when the sun is between 1-6 degrees below the horizon.
"Nacreous clouds are also known a Polar Stratospheric Clouds which form in the polar regions during the winter period.
"Nacreous clouds form in the stratosphere at altitudes of 49,000 feet and 82,000 feet and comprise of either small ice crystals or super-cooled water droplets which refract the sunlight creating the typically iridescent rainbow colours.
"The best time of day to see them is around dawn or dusk."
In old English word 'Nacre' means 'mother of Pearl'.
• Video kindly supplied by Graham Hazlegreaves.
