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Braemar Castle Car Park

Braemar Castle Car Park

Braemar, Ballater, Aberdeenshire, AB35 5XR, Scotland

Best time to visit

Braemar Castle Car Park offers accessible stargazing in the Cairngorms, with dark skies ideal for viewing constellations and the Milky Way.

Braemar Castle Car Park is a Go Stargazing Site. The location has been identified by the Go Stargazing team as a good location for stargazing based on local light pollution levels, distance from nearby towns and cities and offers a safe place to park.

Weather forecast

  • 06/07/26

    17° 6%

  • 06/07/26

    17° 56%

  • 06/07/26

    15° 59%

  • 07/07/26

    13° 15%

Weather forecast for Braemar (0.5 miles away) updated 06/07/26 at 12:01. Powered by Met Office data.

Local light pollution

Braemar Castle Car Park is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a rural location based on the latest data from the VIIRS satellite. For more advanced light pollution data, view this location on DarkSkySites.

The above demonstrates the estimated effect of light pollution - graphics created using Stellarium.

Light pollution map of Braemar Castle Car Park

Best time to visit

The Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies in the night sky. Try to plan your stargazing when there is no bright Moon at night as this is when the skies will be at their darkest.

The below chart shows when the skies will be at their darkest at this location and therefore the best time to visit. 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. See our dark sky calendar for more details.

Moon phase on Mon 6th Jul

Mon 6th Jul

Third Quarter
69 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Tue 7th Jul

Tue 7th Jul

Third Quarter
59 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Wed 8th Jul

Wed 8th Jul

Third Quarter
48 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Thu 9th Jul

Thu 9th Jul

Third Quarter
37 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Fri 10th Jul

Fri 10th Jul

Waning Crescent
26 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Sat 11th Jul

Sat 11th Jul

Waning Crescent
17 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Sun 12th Jul

Sun 12th Jul

Waning Crescent
9 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS

Find more dates

If you are planning to visit this location check our dark sky calendar to find out when is best!

Calendar

Events nearby

Display nearby events on a calendar

  • Nocturnal Creature Walk and Stargazing with The Cabrach Trust

    Friday 30th October 2026 from 17:00pm to 20:30pm

    Lower Cabrach Old School, Huntly, AB54 4EU (28.0 miles away)

    More info

Stay and gaze nearby

Stay at one of these stargazing-friendly accommodation providers.

  • Howe of Torbeg

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    Stay & Gaze

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