A new list of Scotland’s best “activities to do under the stars” has been published by National Geographic. The shortest day of the year, December 21, is long behind us and every day the sun is setting later and later.
However, we still have a ways to go until we will be able to enjoy sunny evenings in Scotland. In the meantime, legendary travel magazine National Geographic has shared a guide to its top “eight activities to do under the stars in Scotland”.
Coming in at number one as the top nighttime activity in the country is cycling in Dumfries and Galloway. Situated in the southwest of Scotland, the Galloway Forest Park is a Dark Sky Park — a destination with exceptionally dark night skies.
Nearly 200,000 acres in size, it is the biggest forest in the UK. According to National Geographic, the Galloway Forest Park offers “unimpeded views of the Milky Way and Northern Lights“.
The magazine also praised the nighttime cycling groups offered by the Galloway Activity Centre that include a power boat ride across Loch Ken.
National Geographic wrote: “Head off road on a mountain bike with a local guide to spot the constellations; if cloud cover obstructs the typically illuminated skies, the nearby Dark Space Planetarium in Kirkcudbright showcases 360-degree immersive projections of the region and beyond.”
Meanwhile, the second nighttime activity in Scotland that National Geographic singled out is zip-lining in Aviemore. The town, nestled along the border of the famous Cairngorms National Park, is home to a Zip Adventure course where visitors can traverse a floodlit forest over Alvie Gorge.
The magazine stated: “In Aviemore, a village on the border of the national park, travellers can fly through the trees, across thrashing rivers and over depths of snow on zip-lining trails illuminated by multicoloured lights. On a clear night, it’s apparent why the region was awarded international dark sky status in 2018; its pitch-black skies are speckled with stars.”
Meanwhile, another activity in Scotland that the magazine singled out is The Real Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh. A historic close situated under the Edinburgh City Chambers on the Royal Mile where residents lived in the 17th century, it is today operated as a tourist attraction.
The Real Mary King’s Close offers one-hour tours where visitors will be led by an in-character guide through 400 years of Scottish history. Along the way, you will learn about myths, legends, and Edinburgh’s deadly plague epidemic.
The full list of eight activities to do under the stars in Scotland can be found on the National Geographic website.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – sign up to the Scotland Now newsletter here.