More than three years after being destroyed by a fire, The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory is set to have a new home in Dumfries & Galloway on the banks of Clatteringshaws Loch within the Galloway Forest Park, Scotland’s only Gold Tier Dark Sky Park.
The news comes after the Board of Trustees of The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory completed their purchase of the site, which was previously home to the Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre, from Forestry & Land Scotland. The Trustees’ purchase of the site was backed with £200k of grant funding from South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE) and support during the process from the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA).
With plans to open in late 2026 after an estimated £1.5m redevelopment, the new site for The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory has been chosen for both the exceptional quality of the dark night skies overhead and its accessibility. Rated 2 on the Bortle dark-sky scale (1 being the highest), the area was designated in 2009 as Europe’s first ‘gold tier’ Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association because of its relatively low population density and low levels of obtrusive artificial light.
The former observatory opened in 2012 near Dalmellington in Ayrshire on the edge of the Galloway Forest Park but was destroyed in a fire on 23 June 2021. A return to the former site was ruled out last year following a feasibility study due to poor accessibility, lack of utilities and security concerns.
The planned new observatory will comprise two observing domes, each featuring a large telescope, and a 360° planetarium offering immersive educational shows and night-sky simulations. In addition, the new observatory will offer educational spaces, an exhibition area, a gift shop and a café. The redevelopment project will create a number of jobs and volunteering positions.
With the planned telescope equipment, visitors will be able to see numerous nebulae, star clusters and galaxies, which are difficult or impossible to view from urban or light polluted skies. The observatory will also be well placed to observe transient phenomena like meteor showers, aurora, and comets, as well as providing daytime viewing of the sun through specialised solar telescopes.
Marc Charron, Chairman of The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory Board, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have secured the purchase of such a wonderful site on which to create a new astronomical observatory. We are determined to create an outstanding facility that will inspire people for generations to come in the wonders to behold in a truly dark night sky.”
Anthony Daye, Interim Place and Enterprise Director, SoSE, said: “We are delighted to have supported SDSO with the purchase of the site for its new astronomical observatory. With the South of Scotland now the country’s Natural Capital Innovation Zone, and SOSE also launching a new Space Strategy this year, the development of an astronomical observatory is an example of how we can we use natural resources for the benefit of the region. These opportunities extend to tourism, with the planned observatory adding another visitor offering to the already fantastic tourism sector we have in the South of Scotland.”
David Hope-Jones, Chief Executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance added: “We are hugely excited at today’s announcement as it will help further establish the South of Scotland as a leading dark sky destination. By attracting visitors through the shoulder and winter months, the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory will extend our visitor season, helping local businesses thrive through the more challenging months. In turn, this will have wider community benefit, increasing the number of year-round jobs and supporting restaurants and cafes to stay open longer.”
The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory is a charity and in addition to news of the new site, the Trustees have also revealed that the Astronomer Royal for Scotland (ARfS), Professor Catherine Heymans, will become the charity’s Patron. Professor Heymans was appointed ARfS by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2021 and is the first woman to serve in the almost 200-year-old role.
Professor Heymans said “In Scotland we’re incredibly proud of our internationally recognised Dark Sky sites, far from the streetlights that prevent urban-dwellers from seeing the true beauty of the cosmos. When the clouds clear at Clatteringshaws Loch, deep within the Galloway Forest, the sky is literally teeming with stars. It’s the perfect location for the new Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, which, like a Phoenix, is rising from the ashes of its much-loved predecessor, renewed as a bigger and better version of what came before.”
