Craigengillan Dark Sky Observatory
UPDATE: Voting lines are open! Call 08716268875 to register your support! “Calls cost 11p per call from BT landlines. Calls from other networks may be higher and from mobile phones will be considerably more. You can vote up to ten times for each project. You can vote for a project from anywhere in the UK. Calls from outside the UK will not be counted but may still be charged.”
Craigengillan Dark Sky Observatory, soon to be located in the north-east of Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park, will open later this year. It is a project by Craigengillan Estate, Renfrewshire Astronomical Society, and Doon Academy, and will be a modern, state-of-the-art public observatory under some of the darkest skies in the UK.
The proposed Craigengillan Dark Sky Observatory
Excitingly this project – or part of it, namely the purchase of a mobile digital planetarium – is one of two projects in the finals of STV’s “The Jubilee People’s Millions“, and between 9am and midnight on Monday 27 June 2011 members of the public will be asked to vote on which project should get funding. If you’re in the UK please make sure you vote!
You can find out more about the observatory, including planning drawings, at the Renfrewshire Astronomical Society website forum.
Craigengillan Observatory Planning Drawing
Leave a comment
Buy my new book
Dark Sky Diary 
There is more than enough “NeighbourWood” stuff going on, we need much – much – more astronomy for the kids (and adults!). I think my STV region is Grampian but will send forth the message to my central belt buddies who also believe we need to look up more than down, to vote for stars and galaxies instead of moss and bugs.
Looking forward to having an observatory within reach that’s not in the capital. Will be there for a visit regardless of whether the wonders of a dank forest floor defeat the wonders of the universe or not.
Hi Thomas, the voting lines are open and apparently anyone in the the UK can vote!
It’s Karen Gillan that needs our support more than Craigengillan.
Ok, ummm. Who wrote this comment? You seem to be using by old work email address. You’ve left some useful comments so far, but I’m curious as to who actually you are!
Such a shame that the voting went the other way, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of support outside of the few societies and clubs in Scotland. I’ve had difficulty in the last year since finally getting a telescope getting out and about around here (too much light pollution and ned pollution) although I’d still like to visit the observatory when it opens.
Our area needs this support…let us promote South West Scotland at it’s best ! Good Luck
This could be one of the biggest events in the south west of Scotland, along with the Galloway ‘n’ SABRe, Dumfries House, Burns Birthplace Museum, Cairns Ryan Port, The Robert Burns International Airport and New Cumnock Open Air Pool.
Let’s promote, promote, promote!!!!