DEEP IN THE HEART OF . . . SCOTLAND
When did you last see the stars at night? Nowadays it is difficult anywhere in the United Kingdom to get away from the glare of city lights.
However, Galloway Forest Park in Scotland has become the first area outside of America to be named one of the world.
The forest has become the first Dark Sky Park in the UK and the fourth in the world, with the other three in the US.
The award, presented by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), recognises the quality of the night sky in the area, where light pollution is minimal.
There are few buildings within the parks perimeter and pitch-black sky at night makes it easy to see distant galaxies such as the Milky Way and Andromeda.
Martin Morgan-Taylor, UK board member for the IDA, said: Its location is ideally situated for access from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and northern England, meaning that many people, including children, may have access to a quality night sky, both now and in generations to come.
Such skies are rapidly disappearing and less than 10 per cent of people in the UK can now see the Milky Way from where they live.
The other three Dark Sky Parks are at the Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah, the Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania and the Geauga Park in Ohio.
Galloway Forest Park was established in 1947, covers 300 square miles (185,329 acres) and is the largest of its kind in Britain.
Forestry Commission Scotland submitted an application for dark sky status six weeks ago, and the IDA decided it merited the award at its annual general meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, over the weekend.
(From an article in the Daily Telegraph)
So, if you want to see stars - go to Scotland.
janeagain
Pro 
Beautiful pictures. The stars here can be quite wonderful at the right time of the night but I would love to see something like that.