“That bright star there, that’s not actually a star. It’s Venus!” Our guide points a green laser at the night sky to the east and we look up to catch a fleeting glimpse of the sparkling planet through fast-moving Scottish clouds.
I’m standing in a muddy field with half a dozen other night-sky enthusiasts in Moffat, a small town in Dumfriesshire, near Scotland’s southern borderlands. I’ve come here to discover why Moffat has been named Scotland’s darkest town.
Situated along the River Annan, tiny Moffat built up around an early wool trade and for several centuries was a popular spa destination thanks to mineral springs in the hills above town. With only around 2,400 residents, Moffat has a surprising collection of cafés, restaurants, pubs, and places to stay thanks
