Tomintoul & Glenlivet – Cairngorms Dark Sky Park

Awarded Gold Tier status in November 2018, the Tomintoul & Glenlivet – Cairngorms Dark Sky Park is both the darkest Dark Sky Park in the UK and the most northerly in the world. It covers 244 square kilometres of Crown Estate and neighbouring land inside the Cairngorms National Park, Britain’s largest.

Tomintoul is one of the highest villages in the Highlands, and that altitude — combined with extreme remoteness and hills that shield the area from stray light — produces exceptional skies. The far-northern latitude means short summer nights but spectacular autumn and winter observing, with the aurora a regular visitor. Three Dark Sky Discovery Sites — the Field of Hope, the Carrachs and Blairfindy Moor — offer parking and interpretation boards.