Gigha location named Dark Sky Discovery Site
A stargazing spot at the north of Gigha has this month been named a Dark Sky Discovery Site by the UK Dark Sky Discovery Partnership.
The island’s huge expanse of dark sky and lack of light pollution makes it an ideal location for viewing the night sky, full of stars, planets and meteors, arguably one of nature’s most magnificent sights.
Gigha’s Dark Sky Discovery Site is Milky Way class, the highest designation, because it is possible to see our galaxy, the Milky Way, very clearly on a dark cloudless night. This award makes the Isle of Gigha one of the top 20 most remote zones in Scotland which have been designated as a Dark Sky Discovery Site in the Milky Way class and which hosts community events.
The Dark Skies Gigha group has been working towards Dark Sky status for the island for the past three years. The group has held a number of events on Gigha, although the Covid pandemic curtailed some planned activities.
Last year, the group was awarded a £3,500 grant from Awards for All Scotland. This was used to create a Dark Sky Theatre at the Dark Sky Discovery Site, which will feature a night sky interpretation board, benches and stargazing pamphlets for islanders and visitors.
The Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust Community Fund also awarded the group £840 to purchase nine pairs of binoculars for community use.
When it comes to optimum stargazing conditions, the Isle of Gigha rarely disappoints; located far away from the obscuring haze of light pollution, stargazers are often able to stare up at celestial wonders with just the naked eye.