Land Rover’s range of SUVs may have a strong association with the stars of the Hollywood screen, but the UK brand are keen to encourage their drivers to explore some of the more remote parts of Britain in the search for stars of the galaxy.

The premium British off-road brand has released a top ten locations for perfect stargazing, in partnership the official Dark Sky sites and astronomy and science expert, Dr Jenifer Millard.

With the UK hosting some of Europe’s best Dark Sky spots, Land Rover’s Discovery, with a tent on the roof, is the perfect driving companion.

“More often than not, finding dark skies is a simple case of escaping civilization,” said Anthony Bradbury, Land Rover’s Marketing Director. “Away from street lamps, houses and main roads, the majesty of the universe reveals itself to the naked eye. It's always been in Land Rover's DNA to explore, and we encourage people to find the permitted routes less travelled and the areas rarely visited to seek out dark skies for themselves.

“Our recent expedition to the shores of Loch Torridon in the North West Scottish Highlands revealed the Milky Way and our nearest planetary neighbours in great detail, showing there's plenty of incredible stargazing to be done, even outside of officially recognised Dark Sky Reserves.”
Unsurprisingly, Land Rover’s list covers all four corners of the United Kingdom, with Dark Skies Reserves as far afield as the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in Northern Ireland, the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland, Snowdonia National Park in North Wales and Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire.

Best Stargazing Spots In The UK

CARRICK-A-REDE ROPE BRIDGE, NORTHERN IRELAND

COMPTON BAY, ISLE OF WIGHT

TOMINTOUL AND GLENLIVET, CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK

LLYNNAU CREGENNAN, SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK

DALBY FOREST, NORTH YORK MOORS NATIONAL PARK

USK RESERVOIR, BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK

PORLOCK COMMON, EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK

KIELDER OBSERVATORY AND FOREST, NORTHUMBERLAND

KELLING HEATH HOLIDAY PARK, NORFOLK

BEN DAMPH ESTATE ON UPPER LOCH TORRIDON, SCOTLAND

Speaking about the opportunities to stargaze, Dr Milard said: “It’s worth stargazing all year round because our view of the cosmos slowly changes night-by-night. As earth moves around the sun in its orbit, we look out onto different parts of the universe. Some constellations, and the astronomical objects they host, are only visible at certain times of the year. Additionally, moonless nights are ideal - the moon’s light simply washes out fainter stars and objects, like nebulae and galaxies, although it has little effect on bright stars and planets.”

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