Stargazing Holidays in Scotland
Glenapp Castle Stargazing Package

Stargazing Holiday Packages 2013

If you are a keen astronomer, or even if you’ve barely looked at the night sky before, the dark skies, unpolluted by man made light, in this beautiful countryside will amaze you. 

Countless stars are scattered overhead, the Milky Way stretches from horizon to horizon.  Shooting stars, planets, comets, even ‘Aurora Borealis’ or the Northern Lights may all be visible on a clear night. 

The Seven Sisters	Andromeda Galaxy	The Orion Nebula

2 night Exclusive ‘Stargazing’ holiday packages in South west scotland

• Luxury Stargazing Package
  For 2 guests - £725.00 per person for two nights.
• Luxury Stargazing Package
  For 4 guests - £625.00 per person for two nights.

Available on The Following dates:

• September 2013:
  Fri 27th & Sat 28th
• October 2013
  Tue 1st & Wed 2nd, Fri 25th & Sat 26th, Tue 29th & Wed 30th
• November 2013
  Tue 5th & Wed 6th, Fri 8th & Sat 9th, Fri 22nd & Sat 23rd,
  Wed 27th & Thur 28th
• December 2013
  Sun 1st & Mon 2nd, Wed 4th & Thur 5th

These special Stargazing Holiday Package rates cannot be booked online and should be booked directly with Glenapp Castle.
Check availability:
>> Telephone 01465 831212
>> Email enquiries@glenappcastle.com

The following will be included in the package:

DAY 1 of your Stargazing Holiday

• Arrival at the castle from 1.00pm - WELCOME PACK with Pocket Star Charts and Stargazer in your room on arrival.
• Accommodation in a Luxury Garden View Double Room, six course Gourmet Dinner and full Scottish Breakfast.

DAY 2 of your Stargazing Holiday

• Explore the local area or enjoy a leisurely walk in the castle garden.
• 3pm - Complimentary Afternoon Tea
• 6.30pm - Pre-dinner talk on stargazing, the universe and constellations given by astronomer, Steve Owens. Steve is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS), in 2010 was awarded the Campaign for Dark Skies' annual award in recognition of his work on dark sky protection, and was named "astronomer of the year" by the Federation of Astronomical Societies.
• 7pm - Three course Gourmet Dinner with Steven Owens.
• 9pm - After dinner night drive and stargazing in the local area with Steve Owens as your stargazing guide. Transport and driver will be provided for the evening. Binoculars, torches with red filter for night vision, deck chairs, blankets and hand warmers will be provided.
• 10pm - Thermos with ‘Tipsy Hot Chocolate’
• 11pm - Return to castle
• 11.30pm - Stargazing Supper Tray in room with dram of Bladnoch Malt Whisky.

Please wrap up warm: hat, gloves, scarf, stout shoes and thick socks are essential!

Please note that if the weather is really unsuitable for stargazing, Steven Owens will give a talk and slide show on astronomy and stargazing.

Why enjoy stargazing holidays in South West Scotland?

The Forestry Commission of Scotland has established the nearby Galloway Forest Park as the first ever ‘Dark Sky Park’ in the UK, and one of only five in the world.  Announced on Monday the 16th November 2009 in the International Year of Astronomy, this is an exciting development for the UK and for the south West of Scotland.

What is a Dark Sky Park?

The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) awards deserving parks around the world the status of ‘Dark Sky Park’. They define a dark sky park as: “a park possessing exceptional starry night skies and natural nocturnal habitat where light pollution is mitigated and natural darkness is valuable as an important educational, cultural, scenic and natural resource”.

What does The Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park have that is so special?

Very dark skies indeed! From a city street, you might be able to see a few dozen of the brightest stars in the sky.  In this area, on a clear night, you will be dazzled by thousands upon thousands of stars. 

Just how dark are the skies in Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park? 

Astronomers measure the darkness of the sky on the Bortle Scale, a nine point scale that describes the level of light pollution overhead.  Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park has a Bortle class of 2, defined as a “truly dark site”. The only class of sky darker than this is class 1, “utterly unpolluted sky”. Nowhere in the UK, or indeed mainland Europe for that matter, has a sky with Bortle class 1, so the skies above The Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park are certainly amongst the darkest skies in the world, and probably the darkest skies you will ever see. 

Things you might see include: detail within the grey band of the Milky Way, other galaxies and nebulae visible with the naked eye, dozens of shooting stars, the northern lights and, of course, true darkness!

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* Rates for all special offers and packages on this web site are subject to change at any time. Special offers and packages are strictly subject to availability, and subject to our normal booking terms and conditions (click to view booking terms and conditions). They can only be booked directly by telephone or email with Glenapp Castle. Special rates cannot be applied to existing reservations.