Dark Sky Areas: Accommodation in Hostels and Bunkhouses

Hostel and Bunkhouses in Dark Sky Parks

Our wonderful small island is home to a surprising number of dark sky areas, where light pollution is kept under control and where, when conditions are right, visitors can feast their eyes on the wonders of a star filled night sky. Unsurprisingly these are sparsely populated areas, often rugged and remote. Fortunately they are well served with independent hostels, camping barns and bunkhouses offering great value self catering accommodation to individuals, families or groups of all sizes.

Perhaps the most well known of our Dark Sky Parks is Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, (a combination of Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water and Forest Park). This was awarded Dark Sky status by the International Dark Sky Association in December 2013. At 572 square miles (1,483 square kilometres) it is also Europe’s largest area of protected night sky. Due to its pristine skies it was awarded gold tier status by the International Dark Sky Association, making it officially the best place in England for people to go to enjoy the night skies. Here in the darker months of the year, visitors will be able to see up to 2,000 stars, the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way. If you strike lucky you might also witness a meteor shower or the Northern Lights (aurora borealis). Take a look at the map and you will see you have a choice of 12 independent hostels, bunkhouses or camping barns situated in or on the very edge of Northumberland’s International Dark Sky Park.

The UK’s first ever international Dark Sky Park was Galloway Forest Park in south west Scotland. It was designated by the International Dark Sky Association in November 2009 as only the fourth Dark Sky Park in the world and the first in the UK. Just like Northumberland it enjoys gold tier status. Close to Galloway Forest Park the small town of Moffat was proud to be named as Europe’s very first Dark Sky Town, having adopted special street lighting to keep light pollution to a minimum in order to preserve the wondrous starry skies. There is hostel accommodation on the edge of Galloway Forest Park and in Moffat.

Wales is also blessed with large areas of low light pollution. The Snowdonia National Park and The Brecon Beacons National Park are both International Dark Sky Reserves, while the Elan Valley Dark Sky Park runs between them. In 2017 the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park had 4 locations designated as Dark Sky Discovery Sites. These areas are literally peppered with hostel, bunkhouse or camping barn accommodation. There is little excuse for not crossing a star gazing weekend in Wales off your bucket list!

In Snowdonia, Cregennan Lakes are recommended as a great place to stargaze. These sister lakes are found on the flanks of Cader Idris in southern Snowdonia, possibly the moodiest mountain in the entire National Park. The easiest approach is from the east, via the minor road from Dolgellau, only a short drive from Plas Isa Hostel. While the aptly named Star Bunkhouse in the village of Bwlch in the Brecon Beacons is just down the road from Llangorse Lake, identified by the International Dark Skies Association as a prime site for viewing the night sky.

In the south of England both Exmoor National Park and the South Downs National Park have International Dark Sky Reserve status. While in the north, the North York Moors and the Forest of Bowland AONB in Lancashire both host a number of newly designated Discovery Sites.

In the north of Scotland, the high quality of the night skies above Tomintoul and Glenlivet in the Cairngorms National Park merit the area becoming Scotland’s second International Dark Sky Park. Awarded Gold Tier status by the International Dark-Sky Association, the Tomintoul and Glenlivet – Cairngorms Dark Sky Park is not only the darkest Dark Sky Park in the UK, it is also the most northern Dark Sky Park in the world.

Finally the Isle of Coll, together with the Isle of Sark have been designated as Dark Sky communities.
In our busy, frenetic and crowded world it is heartening to realise there are so many areas where sheep out number people, where flora and fauna flourish and where you can raise your eyes skywards after a day’s activity and feast your eyes on infinity and beyond!