Dark Skies Scotland

In these modern times, we have become disconnected from the night sky, the entire universe sprawls above our heads but light pollution blocks its wonders from our vision. Our ancestors must have looked up in wonder every night as to what they were, used them for navigation and to keep track of the seasons... it's a shame we no longer have the view that they would have seen every single night in all its splendour.

Thankfully in Scotland, we have many dark sky discovery sites / dark sky locations where we can again experience the grandeur of the Milky Way and beyond with our own eyes without the bright orange glow of light polluting cities. Very few people have truly seen the night sky with no light pollution to spoil their view, and only by heading to the darker rural areas will they be able to gain a true insight into what the night sky has to offer.

Let's have a look at some of the darkest places in Scotland to view the night sky.

Dark sky discovery sites

Here are just a few of the best places in Scotland for stargazing.

Tomintoul & Glenlivet

Located in the Cairngorms National Park, Tomintoul is a great place to see the night sky and is recognised by the International Dark Sky Association as a Dark Sky Park. Locals have tried to lower light pollution levels, and the surrounding hills shield the area from larger settlements such as Granton on Spey and Aviemore.

See the dedicated areas at Tomintoul Field of Hope, The Carrachs and Blairfindy Moor if you plan to visit.

North Ronaldsay

The very most northerly isle of the Orkney island archipelago. This island is DARK and officially recognised as a "dark sky island". Given it is so far to the north it is also the perfect location to view the Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis. A winter trip to North Ronaldsay would be quite special, especially for night time photographers.

Abriachan Forest - Loch Ness

The Abriachan Forest is on the west side of Loch Ness and is known for its crisp clear views of the Milky Way. Astronomer and scientist Stephen Mackintosh won the forest its designation of "Dark Sky discovery site".

In January he held a Burns stargazing event, complete with haggis. Star clusters such as Hyades, Pleiades, Beehive and the double cluster in Perseus were viewed as well as galaxies in Ursa Major (M81 and M82) and of course Andromeda.

Loch Cluanie, Highlands

Located in the northwest Highlands, this picturesque loch is far away from any settlements and is a very dark place. There is a dedicated viewpoint on the northeast side of the loch, I wonder if it would be possible to get a photo of the milky way reflected in the cool lochan waters?

Moffat

Moffat is a pretty town in Dumfries and Galloway, south Scotland. Named as Europe's first "dark sky town", Moffat has special street lights designed to reduce light pollution. The lights have no upwards bleed of light but still offer great light coverage at street level. All 600 street lights were upgraded and have had the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly, definitely a great showcase for other towns and cities in Scotland.

The Lecht - Cairngorms dark sky park

The Lecht Ski Centre is a mecca for snowboarders and skiers in Scotland, but it is also a fantastic hilltop site for viewing the night sky. Weather permitting - why not spend a night under the stars, just wrap up warm!

Isle of Coll

The west coast island of Coll is one of the best Scottish Islands for stargazing events, and is known as an "International Dark Sky Community". The flat geography of the island and extremely low light pollution makes it perfect to view the exceptionally dark night skies.

Clatteringshaws Loch, Dumfries and Galloway Forest Park

Located in the Galloway Forest Park in southwest Scotland, this is the first officially recognised International Dark Sky Park in the UK and only the fourth in the world. The darkest skies are available here and could be one of the best places in terms of light pollution and accessibility in Scotland.

There are three visitor centres available offering the darkest areas of the forest, Glentrool, Clatteringshaws and Kirroughtree. Information panels are included at the centres and along walks, showing the best things in the night sky to look out for.

Galloway Astronomy Centre lies south of the Dark Sky Park and offers the use of two large telescopes, as well as accommodation options to stay at the observatory.

Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, Ayrshire

This was a fantastic facility run as a charity but unfortunately, it was destroyed by a suspicious fire in June 2021. Hopefully, it will be rebuilt soon, I would love to visit.

Isle of Lewis

The Outer Hebrides is one of the larger Scottish Islands to the north west. Each year the Isle of Lewis hosts the Hebridean Dark Skies Festival which usually runs between mid to late February. This sounds like a fantastic event, with astronomy talks, stargazing events, theatre, visual arts, film and live music.

Imagine star gazing at the historic Calanais Standing Stones, you would see the same sky as the stone builders some 5000 years ago. Luskentyre Beach would also provide a stunning setting for star gazing in the Outer Hebrides.

Torridon

Another fantastic location on mainland west Scotland. Torridon is already a massively popular place for photographers and a favoured spot of one of Moray's finest photographers - Ian Cameron of Transient Light.

Fantastic photographic opportunities exist at Loch Torridon and the barren jagged mountains shelter the area from sources of light pollution. A great stop if you are using a campervan along the North Coast 500 route.

Assynt

One of the most northerly points on this list, the Glencanisp Estate in Assynt has the official status of "dark sky discovery site". Located south of Ullapool on the north west mainland, it is an area rich in natural beauty and the Assynt mountain peaks that seem to rise out of the ground at impossibly steep angles.

The photography opportunities here are astounding and match that up with a beautiful night image of the northern lights or Milky Way, you could capture something truly special.

Waternish - Isle of Skye

No street lights exist on this particular peninsula of Skye, making it a great stargazing spot. Skye is one of the best Scottish Islands to visit being accessible via bridge, why not do a spot of dark sky gazing while you visit?

Melrose, Scottish Borders

Although the islands and more northern parts of Scotland can offer the best dark sky sites, the Scottish Borders have some fantastic locations too, specifically near Melrose such as St Mary's Loch.

Royal Observatory, Edinburgh

After all this talk of light pollution in major cities, it's funny to think Edinburgh has an observatory smack bang in the middle up on Blackford Hill. This is a lovely Victorian-era building with a highly decorated exterior.

There is a visitor centre and shop here but check the opening hours before you go as they can be sporadic. It's well worth a visit if you are into telescopes and astronomy.

Calton Hill Observatory

An even older observatory exists at Calton Hill, also in Edinburgh, and was completed in 1834.

What is the best dark sky park in Scotland?

It has to be Galloway Forest Park. This is the only site that has the official gold standard certification of International Dark Sky Park, granted in 2009. The park is easily accessible in mainland Scotland, and has a variety of visitor centres, tours, workshops and is the perfect place for astronomy and astrophotography with options over Loch Riecawr. Dark Sky Rangers can even lead guided tours and walks, truly a world-class Dark Sky Park.

What can you see in the Scottish night sky?

Many different celestial objects can be in Scotland's dark skies:

• Stars - Orion's Belt and The Plough/Big Dipper are popular constellations, always visible in Scotland.

• Galaxies - Andromeda and the Milky Way.

• Planets such as Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

• Shooting stars/Meteors.

• Comets if any happen to be passing. The Hale Bopp in 1997 was amazing.

• The International Space Station.

• The Moon.

• The Northern Lights.

• Noctilucent clouds.

Obviously, with the right hardware such as telescopes and cameras, more can be seen, such as nebulas, star clusters and fainter more distant galaxies.

What are the best times of year to see Meteor showers in Scotland?

There are actually many times of year you can see Meteor showers in Scotland. The Lyrid shower is the next one due on the 22nd of April, characterised by bright, fast meteors.

I think I will write another article soon on Meteor showers in Scotland.

Can you see the Milky Way in Scotland?

Yes. In the dark sky areas, you can easily see the arch of the Milky Way galaxy. It's possible to photograph it fairly well, but more so if you have a star tracking mount for your camera.

Is it possible to see other distant objects from Scotland such as galaxies?

Yes, it's possible, but not with the naked eye just as in other places in the world. However, with a telescope or a series of long camera exposures, it is possible to see many nebulas, galaxies and stars from Scotland's dark sky discovery sites.

Can you see the Aurora Borealis / Northern Lights in Scotland?

Yes. The frequency of sightings seems to have increased in the last few years, and in the darker winter months, the northern lights are a common sight in the skies of north Scotland. A lot of the time it can just look like a grey smear on the horizon, but sometimes - if you are lucky - you can see the lights dancing in colours of green and red.

Please see my dedicated article here on the Northern Lights in Scotland, and how to photograph them.

Noctilucent Clouds

This is more of an unknown phenomenon to most people, but in the summer months, it's possible to see noctilucent clouds in Scotland. These high altitude clouds look like electric blue tears or scratches in the sky, they are quite beautiful and wondrous to look at.

I have an article here all about noctilucent clouds in Scotland.

What are the best times of year for stargazing in Scotland?

The darkest months are August to March from the very end of summer to the start of spring.

What should I take with me while stargazing in Scotland?

The best time of year is in the winter with the longer nights. Winters can be cold in Scotland wrap up warm. Considering taking the following:

• A red flashlight - this does not spoil your night vision after you have become accustomed to the darkness.

• Warm layers, waterproofs and strong footwear.

• A hot drink and some food can be nice while stargazing.

• A star chart or phone app that can guide you to find the best things in the night skies. I use Google Skymap to get a basic gist of where things are.

• A telescope if you have one, or a standard scope/binoculars.

If you want to try some astrophotography, you will need to bring:

• A good DSLR or mirrorless camera.

• A tripod.

• A remote trigger cable or timer.

• For long exposures or multiple exposures, a tracking mount can be very useful. This helps reduce star trails as the sky is constantly moving.

• Star trails themselves can be a fun project, and pointing at the star Polaris (the North Star) will give the perfect centre point to your photo and the trails will arc in a circular line around that point.

What is the biggest cause of light pollution?

Street lights are the biggest contributor to light pollution, most towns and cities have artificial lights activated in the evening and throughout the night. Thankfully due to Scotland's low population and sparse settlements, there are larges areas with no street lights at all.

At my location on the Moray Coast, there are also offshore industries that can ruin your viewing of the night sky. Oil rigs, ships and offshore wind farms will all have bright lights that pepper the horizon.

Conclusion

Scotland might just be the best place in Europe to go stargazing or see the Northern Lights... yet another great reason to visit our lovely wee country. Please write in the comments if you know of a great dark skies location and what you have seen!