Fall in love with Gigha's dark skies this Valentine's Day
Astronomy lovers are in for a Valentine’s treat on Friday at a stellar three-day festival on the Isle of Gigha.
The Love Dark Skies Festival has been organised by volunteer-led charity Dark Skies Gigha and will take place from tomorrow, Thursday February 13 to Saturday February 15.
The festival’s workshops, performances and events will explore all things celestial in celebration of National Astronomy Week.
There will be a workshops for young people to help the Dark Skies Gigha group plan its all-sky camera project.
The camera will be situated on Gigha with a 360-degree horizon so that there is clear picture of the skies over the island and people will be able to access the live feed through a new website.
The Gigha Dark Skies group has been working with local young people from Campbeltown Grammar School and Dr Chris Leigh from the National Schools Observatory on the project, which will allow beautiful views of the Milky Way or Aurora Borealis to be shared with people from all over the world.
On Valentine’s Day itself, two award-winning authors will be leading interactive sessions for young galaxy-lovers.
Argyll-based Alan Windram, the author of the One Button Benny series, will present a musical, dance-filled, interactive storytelling session for young children under six and their parents or carer.
In the afternoon, Adam Murphy, comics writer and artist, and co-author of the CorpseTalk series, will lead a comics-making workshop for seven- to 11-year-olds.
Both sessions will take place in Tayinloan Village Hall and places can be booked by emailing dark.skies.gigha@gmail.com or by visiting the Dark Skies Gigha Eventbrite page for tickets.
To round off the festival, the Dark Skies Gigha group will be leading a Chasing the Moon Outdoor Session on the island at 10pm on Saturday February 15, weather permitting.
People of all ages are welcome to join the group at the Dark Skies Theatre at the north end of the island for some moon watching activities and star gazing. Participants are encouraged to come warmly dressed and ready for wet or cold conditions.
The Dark Skies Gigha group’s theme for 2025 is Celestial Stories and other events planned for this year include an event to watch a solar eclipse in March, the group’s annual Perseids Party Weekend in August, and the annual Dark Skies Gigha Festival in November.
The group says this year residents and visitors to Argyll will have many more opportunities to fall in love with the Isle of Gigha’s unique dark skies thanks to a funding award from The National Lottery Community Fund, made possible by National Lottery Players.
Julie Wilson, chairperson of Dark Skies Gigha, said: “This funding enables us to include and support more people in our clubs and events and to offer experiences which enhance their wellbeing and enjoyment of nature-based activities.
"We hope that many people engage with our events this year, and through them, develop a deep love for the night skies, meet new friends, learn new skills and have fun exploring galaxies full of stars.”
You can book the Valentine’s Day live literature workshops here:
Alan Windram Robots and Dinosaurs Session for under-sixes
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1231258239539?aff=oddtdtcreator
Adam Murphy Comics-making workshop for 7-11-year-olds
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1231532539979?aff=oddtdtcreator
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