Stargazing at Castle Semple
Monday 26th January 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:00pm
Castle Semple Visitor Centre
Lochlip Road, Lockwinnoch, Renfrewshire, PA12 4EA
Take a closer look at Renfrewshire’s stunning night sky in this, the fourth of the series, of Dark Sky Viewing Nights.
Led by John Pressly – Science Curator at One Ren’s Paisley Museum – and Clyde Muirshiel’s Countryside Rangers, this series of outdoor events will explore some of the most mesmerising wonders of the night sky through a telescope. Expect to see the Moon, far-away galaxies, constellations and even the International Space Station.
This viewing night on Monday 26th January will take place at Castle Semple Visitor Centre in Lochwinnoch. This site has a great dark sky, due to its lochside location away the light polluting glow of some of the other towns and cities of the central belt.
Planned is an in depth look at the Moon, which will be visible in the night’s sky and if not, an indoor lecture where John will take questions from the audience.
Tickets are priced at £10pp and includes a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit. This event is suitable for those age 8+. If you have your own binoculars do bring them along.
Event booking
Event darkness
The below chart shows if and when the skies will be at their darkest during this event. Moonlight is shown in light yellow and the Sun's twilight in light blue. Midnight on the date shown is shown as a white line with sunset to the left and sunrise the next morning to the right. A black background with stars shows the best times for stargazing.
Mon 26th Jan
Local light pollution
Castle Semple Visitor Centre is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a semi-rural location based on the latest data from the VIIRS satellite.
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Urban
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Suburban
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Semi-rural
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Rural
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Dark site
The above demonstrates the estimated effect of light pollution - graphics created using Stellarium.
Forthcoming events
Below is a list of events at Castle Semple Visitor Centre. View these events on our calendar, add them to your calendar or Google Calendar.