Stargazing from a dark sky location is the best way to see the magic of the night sky – the human eye can see approximately 2,500 stars without any visual aid. You can also see meteor showers, planets, Northern Lights, even a galaxy!

Come to Craigston to explore the stars and discover the beauty of Scotland in Autumn and Winter.

Where to go stargazing?

Craigston Castle and grounds is an ideal location for seeing the wonders of the night sky and we are planning some stargazing events from January 2025.

There are also some officially recognised and publicly accessible dark sky sites in the UK and one of them is Troup Head, Banff – just 20 mins away.

What might you see?

The moon, planets, constellations, meteor showers, The Milky Way, aurora/Northern Lights, asterisms, star clusters, galaxies (yes the Andromeda galaxy can be seen with the naked eye from a dark sky location!)

What you can expect to see

Name your own asterism and create a memory forever

Asterisms are recognisable patterns of stars in the sky that do not have an officially recognised name. The most famous of these is the “Plough” or “Big Dipper” which is actually part of a larger constellation called Ursa Major (the Great Bear). You can find your own shapes in the stars and name them, recognising patterns and shapes in the stars makes navigating the stars easier and is something you can come back to and build on any time you have a dark sky to explore.

Stargazing events at Craigston

Here at Craigston, we are planning some stargazing events from January 2025 with a star guide. So stay tuned: follows us on social media – there will be more to come.

Further stargazing research

Read this inspiring article in The Guardian

Here are some stargazing sites listing Dark Sky sites and packed with helpful information and inspiration: