26/05/2026
PRESS RELEASE: Published 26.05.26
From Strathnairn Stargazing Group (SSG) & Strathnairn Community Council (SNCC)
The Strathnairn Stargazing Group has welcomed news that Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee is to consider a draft Dark Skies planning policy when it meets on Thursday 28 May 2026 — a move that would make Highland one of the first local authorities in the UK to formally take light pollution into account when assessing new developments.
The community astronomy group, based south-west of Inverness, is leading a joint application to DarkSky International for Dark Sky Community accreditation on behalf of the neighbouring communities of Strathnairn and Stratherrick & Foyers. The application is supported by both community councils and their respective community benefit funds, and has confirmed backing from the John Muir Trust and Strathnairn Heritage Association. The aim is to secure long-term protection for the night sky over the two straths and to preserve, for residents and visitors alike, the view of the heavens that the area still enjoys. If successful, the joint communities would become only the second Dark Sky Community in Scotland, after the Isle of Coll.
Dr Andy McGregor, Chair of the Strathnairn Stargazing Group, said:
“Anyone who has stood outside on a clear night in Strathnairn or Stratherrick knows how special these skies are. They are an environmental asset in their own right — good for wildlife, biodiversity & nature restoration, good for residents extended to their health & well-being, and increasingly important to the visitors who come here specifically for the stars and the Northern Lights.
What we welcome about the council’s approach is that it is practical. It is about mitigating light polluting sources through getting lighting right in new developments from the outset, which is easier and cheaper than trying to fix things afterwards. We have a clear picture of just how dark the skies above the straths really are, plus how we can inform and educate developers, and we would be glad to share that work with council officers as they develop the policy.”
As part of its accreditation work, the group commissioned a programme of sky-brightness measurements across the area. Field studies undertaken jointly by astronomer and data scientist Stephen Mackintosh and Dr Andy McGregor, over the months of astronomical darkness from September to December 2025, recorded baseline night-sky quality at 43 locations across Strathnairn. The reports confirm that significant parts of the strath qualify as Bortle 3 (Rural Sky) on the standard astronomical scale of light pollution — among the darkest skies in mainland Britain. A second phase of survey work, covering Stratherrick & Foyers, will follow in autumn 2026.
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