Last year ‘coolcations’ were firmly in. But that’s in the past, and now, it’s ‘noctotourism’ turn to shine.
After a year of celestial wonder from Northern Lights sightings to eclipses, more and more people are looking for holiday destinations where they can reconnect with the stars. Noctotourism is essentially the term that has been coined to describe the phenomenon of people booking holiday destinations not for what they offer day to day, but for how dark they get at night.
Luckily for us Brits, we don’t have to go far to find a perfect stargazing spot. In fact, according to Winstons Beds, two of Europe’s best stargazing spots are on our shores, and a third is in our next door neighbour, the Republic of Ireland.
Northumberland National Park and Glencoe, in Scotland, are the two places that made the cut. Northumberland is an International Dark Sky Park, which means it is recognised by an official body as a place with very low light pollution, so it’s not surprising it’s been mentioned here – Winstons describes it as an area where ‘stars and galaxies shine brightly, perfect for relaxing and taking in the world’. It’s also made news recently as birdwatchers have spotted golden eagles flying above it, marking the first time the birds have been seen in England for a decade, so there’s stuff to see in these skies from dawn to dusk, and dusk to dawn.
Glencoe, on the west coast of Scotland, is also home to a dark sky area, and is pretty far away from its nearest cities – it’s right smack bang in between Glasgow and Inverness. It also has designated stargazing spots, making it ideal for some noctotourism.
If you’re willing to cross a border, County Kerry in Ireland, the nation’s first official Dark Sky Reserve, was also mentioned as a great location for seeing the stars. All of these places also have stunning scenery by day, so you can bring your less celestially-inclined friends and family along for the trip, and they’ll still have a great time.
If you’re planning a nocturnal holiday, make sure to bring a blanket and a flask of tea, as it can get pretty chilly atop a mountain at 3am. Other than that, happy stargazing!
Eyes on the night skies
You don’t need to head to Glencoe to stargaze – you can just look up (provided the weather’s clear, obvs). If you’re looking for the very best stargazing experience in Britain you could try out one of our top spots, or the Northumberland dark sky park, which was voted the best in the country.
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