Dark Sky Tourism: It’s time to look up

Wallace Monument Stirling

There are prime dark sky spots to be found in Stirlingshire and Perthshire

The clocks have gone back one hour, and suddenly we seem plunged into longer, darker nights. While some of us may be contemplating carbs and hibernation during the winter months, there’s a whole new breed of tourist who loves this time of year more than any other, and they are in search of darkness.

Dark sky tourism is, as yet, not a huge industry but it’s on the up. It owes its growth to a number of factors – the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, the success of the BBC’s real-time astronomy programme BBC Stargazing Live (whose first screening left Amazon sold out of telescopes), and some unforgettable moments in the skies in recent years, not least the sightings of the aurora borealis across Britain in January 2014. The best thing about becoming a Dark Sky tourist? Well, as long as you have a warm coat and a bed for the night, the rest is free, and Scotland is the best place to get away from light pollution.

Scotland is largely free of the light pollution found in major cities like London

Scotland is largely free of the light pollution found in major cities like London

Galloway Forest Park became the UK’s first Dark Sky Park in 2009, but you needn’t travel there to see the stars in their full glory. Any open ground away from city lights and tall buildings will afford a great view of the heavens, and that’s just the kind of landscape you can easily find within minutes of Stirling and Perthshire. Don’t have a telescope? That’s no problem either; in fact, astronomers recommend a ‘whole sky’ view for beginners until they find their way around the stars. Just pick your spot, look up, and let your eyes adjust for 15 minutes. You’ll be amazed at just how many stars there are above, and if you can make out that distinctive blur of the Milky Way, you’ve got yourself a prime Dark Sky spot.

The northern lights, or aurora borealis

The northern lights, or aurora borealis

So if you are planning a late autumn or winter break in Stirling or Perth, how about planning on some stargazing too? You can pick up a star map for next to nothing, you can check for any forecast aurora sightings,  or download a stargazing calendar to bring with you from the BBC Stargazing web page. There are some exciting things to watch out for in November too: The last quarter moon is particularly close to Jupiter, and will be easy to spot rising from the east just after midnight on the 13th November. Also the Leonid Meteor shower will peak on 17th and 18th of November. You can also check Stirling Astronomical Society for events over the winter, and make a date for the Edinburgh Royal Observatory’s ‘A Comet’s Tale’ on 16 November. There’s lots happening in the heavens as the nights lengthen. So, instead of hibernating this winter, why not get outside, and look up?

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