A top star spot

GALLOWAY Forest Park has been named as one of the UK's top ten places for stargazing.

The world's first Dark Sky Park was ranked eighth in the the Camping and Caravanning Club's a guide to dark sky destinations for stargazing in the UK, joining the ranks of Yorkshire Dales National Park, Snowdonia and Northumberland National Park among others.

Each of the sites were ranked based on their Bortle score, which measures the brightness of the night sky on a scale of 1-9, with one reserved for the very darkest locations and nine typical of urban areas, as well as its average rainfall in December and volume of searches or stargazing in each location.

Spokesperson Madeleine Birch said: “Night skies can be magical, and we’ve ranked the best stargazing and aurora viewing spots across the UK.

“Northerly winds and clear skies at this time of year bring some of the best stargazing opportunities, so why not explore our recommended spots this winter.”