Location description
The Carrachs was one of the few places in Scotland where the Roman Catholic faith was kept alive during the troubled times of the 18th century. Now this remote location makes for a great place to spot and photograph the Aurora with nearby abandoned farm buildings, picturesque trees and the old Seminary making for great foreground objects. The location itself is about half a mile walk from the car park at the very end of the public road.
In November 2018 the location received official recognition as a Dark Sky Discovery Site in the Cairngorms Dark Sky Park.
Aurora viewpoint
This location has been identified as a great site to spot Aurora with relatively low light pollution and clear horizons towards the North.
Dark sky discovery site
Designated as a Dark Sky Discovery Site this location is accessible by members of the public and are officially recognised as excellent places to stargaze. Such locations often have free overnight car parking, some have toilet facilities however rarely allow overnight camping.
Tonight's weather forecast
Location light pollution
This location is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a dark site setting based on satellite data from CPRE.
When to stargaze at The Carrachs
This location's dark site setting means it benefits from dark skies depending on the time of the year and lunar cycle. In the calendar below where you can see stars indicates when the skies will be dark and the best time to stargaze. Yellow areas show the adverse effects of daylight (bold) and moonlight (faded). Hover over a day to see darkness times or click on a date for more information.
