Our local astronomy club is dedicated to fostering a community of stargazers and space enthusiasts who love to learn and are eager to take advantage of our amazing dark skies. We organize informal astronomy evenings at our observatory near Stoer. Events are usually ad-hoc when we spot a good weather-window for astronomy. Whether you’re a seasoned astronomer or just beginning your journey into the stars, our club welcomes individuals of all ages and experience levels.

Escape to the wild beauty of the Stoer Peninsula for a private stargazing session at our observatory in Assynt — one of the best dark sky locations in the UK. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a curious enthusiast, our Astro Nights offer a relaxed and fascinating introduction to the wonders of the night sky.

These events will be every second Thursday, starting at 6pm until 9pm (7-10pm in October). These events are free of charge to Assynt & Coigach residents. You can reserve a spot by messaging us from the Facebook group page (link below). So grab some friends and come and see what’s going on in your cosmic backyard.

October 16th & 30th

November 13th & 27th

December 11th

January 8th & 22nd

February 5th & 19th

What’s Included:

Guided stargazing
We begin with a gentle, accessible introduction to the night sky — how to identify constellations, spot planets, and understand seasonal celestial events. We’ll also tell you a bit about why this part of Scotland is so special – we’re one of the few places in Europe with “Bortle 1” skies (the measurement standard for “darkness” – Bortle 1 is as dark as it gets!).

Telescope viewing
Step up to our 8” Meade SCT visual telescope to see the Moon, planets, star clusters, and more in real time. We’ll guide you through what you’re seeing and answer all your questions.

Astrophotography demo
Get a behind-the-scenes look at how we photograph deep space objects using our imaging telescope — a William Optics FLT132 refractor — along with powerful CMOS cameras and image processing software. You’ll see nebulae, galaxies, and other cosmic wonders come to life on screen. All pictures shown on this page were taken with this telescope.

Aurora & meteor watching
On clear nights, we keep an eye out for northern lights and meteor activity — and with our low light pollution, you’re in a prime spot to see them.

Weather-friendly options
If skies are cloudy, we’ll move indoors to the cozy Byre cottage for an engaging, informal presentation on astronomy, astrophotography, and cosmic storytelling — with plenty of time for Q&A.

How to Join

It’s free to join the Assynt Astronomy club – we believe that everyone should have the chance to experience the wonders of the universe without any barriers. You can join by simply signing up to our Substack newsletter (add your email in the form below) or joining our Facebook group – we announce events via both of those channels and also publish a monthly (or more) newsletter of astro events happening to inspire your own stargazing at home.

Show your support

If you’d like to show additional support for our club and help us offset some of our costs of running the observatory, please consider signing up as a paid Substack subscriber or make a donation via Paypal.

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