Top 10 tips for an unforgettable dark sky experience
21 October 2024
Guest blog by Garry Cormack Owner of Hillgoers
The Cairngorms National Park has vast areas of low light pollution and amazing vantage points, making it one of the best places in the world for stargazing. Home to the most northerly designated “International Dark Sky Park,” the Cairngorms’ vast landscape has stunning venues for stargazing and astrophotography. The same can be said for a lot of areas in Aberdeenshire, you just need to find somewhere as dark as possible.
Our top 10 tips for Stargazing walks:
1. Ideally, pick a day with clear weather, but a night walk can still be fun in the rain! Night walks are often great for spotting wildlife too, especially around dusk.
2. Download an app where you can check when astronomical twilight is (PhotoPills is a good one), then plan your walk timings accordingly.
3. Download a stargazing app to help you identify constellations. Most apps usually include a constellation guide.
4. Try to time your walk with the "golden hour." If you can reach a vantage point for the sunset, even better. Your sunset photos will look stunning.
5. Check for celestial events like meteor showers or planetary alignments and plan your trip around them. A full moon is beautiful but can reduce the number of visible stars.
6. Dress warmly, wearing extra layers and a duvet jacket. Bring a hot drink to stay comfortable.
7. A roll mat to lie on can save you from neck pain while stargazing.
8. If you want those amazing star photos, bring a tripod and an SLR-type camera, although some smartphones now take excellent astrophotography shots.
9. Preserve your night vision by keeping torches off when static. It will take a few minutes for your eyes to adjust. If you have one, use the red-light function on your torch.
10. Be safe! If you're heading somewhere remote, make sure you have the skills to navigate in the dark, as it can be disorientating. Always tell someone where you're going and when you plan to return.
Hillgoers can help you create an unforgettable experience in Aberdeenshire this winter. Join one of our planned Dark Skies Walks or get in touch to create a bespoke event.
You can also sign up for our “Last Minute Dark Sky Events.” We will notify those signed up to the waiting list a few days beforehand if there’s a clear weather/aurora forecast opportunity.
Hillgoers' founder, Garry, is a certified "Star Ranger" and looks forward to sharing his knowledge of the night sky with you on any of our stargazing events.
All of the dark sky photos within this blog have been taken by professional astrophotographer Simon White of WhiteSky Photographics. Based just a few miles from our headquarters in Aberdeenshire, Simon and his wife Jen own a shop/gallery at the Milton of Crathes, which is well worth a visit. If you’re looking for professional astrophotography tuition, we can organise that for you. We also hope to run astrophotography courses together over the winter. All of the images featured here and on their website are available as framed prints from their shop. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.