Galloway Forest Park – not far from Serenity 22 Barend – was designated the first Dark Sky Park in the UK by the International Dark-Sky Association. In 2009 it was only the fourth in the world; there are now over 100 worldwide. It’s a Gold Tier park for its dark skies which make for breathtaking and rare stargazing conditions.
A Dark Sky Park is a place with exceptionally dark night skies, where there’s a commitment to control light pollution.
Very few people live within the boundaries of Galloway Forest Park, so there’s very little light pollution and the nights are extra clear.
The region covers 300 square miles that are protected from light pollution. Thousands more stars are visible compared to a typical town or city.
You can see over 7,000 stars and planets with the naked eye, including the Milky Way stretching across the sky. There’s a new show every night as we travel round the sun and get a constantly changing view of the stars.