An observatory that was destroyed by fire in 2021 is set to “rise from the ashes” at a new site in Dumfries and Galloway, an astronomy charity has announced.
The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory will reopen on the banks of the Clatteringshaws Loch in Galloway Forest Park in late 2026.
The site, within Scotland’s only “gold tier” dark sky park, has been selected for what the charity described as the exceptional quality of its dark night skies, and its accessibility.
The £1.5 million development is set to comprise two observing domes, each with a large telescope, and a 360-degree planetarium offering immersive educational shows and night sky simulations.
The site will also offer educational spaces, an exhibition area, gift shop and cafe, with trustees saying the project will create a number of jobs and volunteering positions.
Marc Charron, chairman of the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory board, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have secured the purchase of such a wonderful site on which to create a new astronomical observatory.
When the clouds clear at Clatteringshaws Loch, deep within the Galloway Forest, the sky is literally teeming with stars
“We are determined to create an outstanding facility that will inspire people for generations to come in the wonders to behold in a truly dark night sky.”
The former observatory opened in 2012 near Dalmellington in east Ayrshire on the edge of Galloway Forest Park, but was destroyed in a fire on June 23, 2021.
A return to the former site was ruled out last year following a feasibility study due to poor accessibility, lack of utilities and security concerns.
The charity’s trustees said the equipment at the new site will enable visitors to see nebulae, star clusters and galaxies, which are difficult or impossible to view from urban or light-polluted skies.
They added the observatory will also be well placed to observe transient phenomena like meteor showers, aurora, and comets, as well as providing daytime viewing of the sun through specialised solar telescopes.
Scottish Dark Sky Observatory patron Professor Catherine Heymans said the new site will be “a bigger and better version” of its predecessor.
“In Scotland we’re incredibly proud of our internationally recognised dark sky sites, far from the streetlights that prevent urban-dwellers from seeing the true beauty of the cosmos,” she said.
“When the clouds clear at Clatteringshaws Loch, deep within the Galloway Forest, the sky is literally teeming with stars.
“It’s the perfect location for the new Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, which, like a Phoenix, is rising from the ashes of its much-loved predecessor, renewed as a bigger and better version of what came before.”
The site was previously home to the Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre, and was purchased from Forestry & Land Scotland with the help of a £200,000 grant from South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE).
Anthony Daye, interim place and enterprise director at SoSE, said it is “delighted” to have supported the purchase.
He added: “With the south of Scotland now the country’s natural capital innovation zone, and SOSE also launching a new space strategy this year, the development of an astronomical observatory is an example of how we can use natural resources for the benefit of the region.
“These opportunities extend to tourism, with the planned observatory adding another visitor offering to the already fantastic tourism sector we have in the south of Scotland.”
Galloway Forest Park is rated “two” on the Bortle dark-sky scale – one being the highest and nine the lowest.
It was the first “gold tier” dark sky park in Europe when it received the designation in 2009 in recognition of its relatively low population density and low levels of artificial lighting.
The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory is a registered charity whose primary purpose is to promote the advancement of science, education, the arts and environmental protection by sharing the wonders of the night sky with people of all ages and abilities.
