Feeling like a speck of dust in a vast universe under the night sky, with our little everyday problems fading away. Stargazing is a hobby of many, whether it’s bringing full-on telescopes or just looking up. Well, what if we told you the best stargazing spot in the world is just two hours from Glasgow, and it’s Galloway Forest Park, according to Stress Free Car Rental.
Scotland has Europe’s second Dark Sky Park and is home to the UK’s largest forest park, committed to preserving the night sky by removing any kind of light pollution. Galloway Forest Park is a place for just that – a perfectly dark place for stargazing consisting of ten forests. On a clear night, it is said stargazers can witness as many as 7000 stars and planets with the naked eye.
Both those who have never ventured into nature at night away from any light sources and experienced stargazers would find spending the night at the Dark Sky Park breathtaking, being able to see the bend of the Milky Way. Visitors might even be able to see our neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda, the most distant destination visible with the naked eye, located 14.7 million trillion miles away. Well, that’s definitely going to be more than two hours from Glasgow…
How to visit Galloway Forest Park
There are three visitor centres at the UK’s largest forest park, where guests can find all the information needed with low lighting at night.
Those after a personalised experience can arrange a stargazing tour with one of the Dark Sky Rangers (the coolest job title ever, by the way), Matthew or Elizabeth. It is, of course, best to go wild camping in the Dark Sky Park, so just pick a nice loch out of the 250 present in all the forests. As always, don’t leave a trace and take all your rubbish with you.
While you’re there, also check out the Logan Botanic Garden, where the tropical landscape is drastically different from the rest of the country.