Bright future for Dark park

The Galloway Forest Park is now home to Britain's only Dark Park where the heavens can be seen by the naked eye in all their night glory.

Achieving the Dark Park designation has been an arduous process, with strict requirements laid down by the International Dark-skies Association (I|DA). In the modern world few people ever really see the stars as light pollution from street lights, floodlights and all sorts of other electric light that glows during the night make it impossible to see the sky properly at night. Most people in the UK today have never seen a proper night sky. Things are different in the 100-square mile Galloway Forest Park. The park is far enough away from major centres of population for light pollution to be almost non-existent and on a clear night the galaxies and stars stretch across the heavens.

Now Galloway Forest Park is an official International Dark Sky Park, after lots of work, surveys and assessments to comply with the IDA requirements. Dark Skies are measured on what is known as “The Bortle dark sky scale.” In inner cities, the magnitude rating can be as low as +4 at best. Up in Galloway, however the new Dark Sky Park skies are rated as +7.1 to +7.5, on a scale that has a score of eight as its maximum. With darkness that black you don't need fancy telescopes to see the wonders of the universe, just your eyes and perhaps a pair of binoculars will do.

People accustomed to visitor attractions where you have to pay to get in, where there are swish visitor centres, cafes, shops and facilities designed to maximise revenue are, apparently a bit confused by the concept of the Dark Sky Park. The park is the darkness and the skies above. There is no central visitor centre. You go into the park at night and look upward. That's it. You don't have to pay anyone.

One woman recently called Scotland's central tourism telephone number to ask about the Galloway Dark Sky Park and was told: “It's shut.” When the dark sky is shut the universe will be officially at an end.

Obviously, in the middle of summer, when this is being written, the nights are short, with the birds starting their dawn chorus at about 4.30am and the light not fading until pub chucking out time. So, the best periods to visit the park are probably during the autumn, winter and early spring.

The Galloway Dark Sky Park has been enthusiastically promoted by the Forestry Commission which administers the whole of the Galloway Forest Park and the project has received input and support from many other people and organisations. The telephone number for the Galloway Forest District is 01671 402 420, email galloway@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.

One guest house that particularly welcomes anyone interested in the night sky is Hillcrest House, at Wigtown (which is Scotland's national book town). Deb and Andrew Firth have just won another Gold Award for their cooking and use of local ingredients and a special Good for the Soul award as the most restful place in Scotland to stay. A special “stargazers box” can be borrowed with everything needed to head into the Dark Park and special packs of food and drink can be ordered to take with you keep up the strength. Hillcrest House, Maidland Place, Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, DG8 9EU. Telephone 01988 402 018. www.hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk, email: info@hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk.

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