Whilst short days and long nights might not be everyone’s cup of tea, for some it can provide magical and amazing experiences – in the right locations of course. As currently we’re struggling to find places where we are allowed to go inside, when the time is right, why not embrace the great outdoors and make the most of these clear and wintery skies – some of the best stargazing places in the UK may be more local than you think!

Breacon Beacons

The Breacon Beacons is one of the best stargazing places in the UK without doubt. There are plenty of places within the National Park which, with their lack of light pollution, will give you fantastic views of the starry skies on a clear night. Try heading to Llangorse Lakes or the Usk Reservoir for some easily accessible spots!

Snowdonia

There are only 18 accredited International Dark Sky Reserves in the world, and you’ll find one of them in Snowdonia. Whilst most visitors will only visit the area to climb Mount Snowdon, it’s well worth staying the night too. On a clear night you’ll be able to see all the major constellations, shooting stars and even the Milky Way too!

North York Moors

The (marginally) dryer climate on the East coast of England and unpolluted skies makes the North York Moors a great place for stargazers. Like Snowdonia, North York Moors was given International Dark Sky Reserve accreditation as recently as December 2020, making this as good a place as any to look up! The coastline between Scarborough and Saltburn is the perfect place to set up your base and if you’re looking to get higher up (potentially to spot the Aurora Borealis, should it be strong enough) then head to Boulby Cliff.

By Alex Mulvey