Starlight Express

You leave Edinburgh and point the van north. The A9 carries you through the soft farmland of Perthshire and then into the Highlands proper. As the towns thin out and the hills grow, the sky begins to change. By the time you reach the Cairngorms National Park the light pollution has dropped dramatically.

This is one of the largest areas of true dark sky in Europe. You’ll feel it as soon as you step out of the van in the evening — the stars appear sharper, the Milky Way more defined.

Camping: You’ll wild camp in the ancient Caledonian pine forests of Rothiemurchus or the quiet, wild glen of Feshie. Both offer flat, van-friendly spots well away from any lights. The silence here is noticeable.

Day one is about the transition — leaving the modern world behind and stepping into the darkness.

A full day in the Cairngorms.

By day you can explore the high ground — walking into the corries or heading up toward the plateau for vast, open views. The landscape here feels ancient and elemental, with wide skies even in daylight.

As darkness falls you’ll return to camp and step out into one of the best dark sky locations in Britain. On clear nights the Milky Way stretches overhead with startling clarity. Many people say their first proper night under a truly dark sky is unforgettable.

Camping: You’ll stay in the same wild spot as the night before — either deep in Rothiemurchus or further out in Glen Feshie. Both places offer the kind of darkness that makes the stars feel close enough to touch. No facilities, just the forest and the night.

A second full day in the Cairngorms, this time moving deeper into the park.

You can spend the day exploring quieter corners — perhaps walking further up Glen Feshie or heading toward the high plateaus. The sense of space here is enormous.

By night you’ll be even further from any light. Glen Feshie in particular offers some of the darkest skies in the entire park. With no settlements nearby, the darkness feels complete.

Camping: Move to a more remote wild spot in Glen Feshie if you haven’t already. The further up the glen you go, the darker it becomes. This is true wilderness camping — just you, the van, and the stars.

Many guests say the second night in the Cairngorms is when the darkness really starts to sink in.

A full travel day, but one of the most scenic in Britain.

You leave the Cairngorms and take the long, beautiful route south — passing through the heart of the Highlands via Glencoe, the shores of Loch Lomond, and the quiet roads of the west. It’s a slow, deliberate drive that lets the landscape do the talking.

By late afternoon you’ll arrive in Galloway Forest Park — the largest forest park in the UK and one of the best dark sky locations in the south of Scotland.

Camping: You’ll wild camp deep inside the forest, well away from any lights or people. Galloway Forest has plenty of remote, van-accessible spots where the darkness is almost complete. This is proper wild camping in the middle of nowhere.

The contrast between the high, open Cairngorms and the deep, enclosed forests of Galloway is part of the magic of this tour.

Your first full day in Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park.

By day you can walk deep into the forest on quiet trails, visit the famous Dark Sky Observatory (if you want to learn more), or simply explore the hills and lochs that make this park so special.

As night falls the forest becomes one of the darkest places in the south of Scotland. The lack of light pollution here is remarkable.

Camping: Wild camp deep inside the forest, as far from any roads or settlements as your van can comfortably reach. Many people find the sense of isolation in Galloway at night surprisingly powerful.

This is a place that rewards slowing down and simply being under the sky.

A second day in Galloway Forest.

You can spend it exploring a different part of the park — perhaps the high ground around the Merrick or the quieter western sections. The forest is vast, and every corner feels different.

By night you’ll once again be under some of the darkest skies in Britain. Many guests say the second night is when they really start to notice the sheer number of stars and the depth of the darkness.

Camping: Choose another remote wild camping spot within the forest. The further you are from any light source, the more incredible the sky becomes. This is the kind of place where you can genuinely lose yourself in the night.

Two nights here gives you the time the darkness deserves.

Another full travel day on one of the most scenic routes in the country.

You leave Galloway and cross into the Scottish Borders. The roads here are quiet and beautiful — long stretches of empty hills, sudden views across rolling moorland, and a real sense of space. It’s a slower, more contemplative drive than the previous one.

By late afternoon you’ll arrive in Kielder Forest — the largest working forest in Britain and home to one of the darkest skies in England.

Camping: You’ll wild camp deep inside Kielder Forest, well away from the small village and the observatory. The forest is enormous, so it’s easy to find complete solitude and true darkness.

The change from the wild, open Galloway hills to the deep, enclosed forest of Kielder is part of the journey’s charm.

Your last full day under truly dark skies.

Kielder Forest is enormous, and you can spend the day exploring quiet forestry tracks and remote corners. The sense of scale here is impressive — mile after mile of forest with almost no light pollution.

At night you’ll be under some of the darkest skies in England. Many people find Kielder’s darkness feels different — softer somehow, but just as profound.

Camping: Choose a remote wild spot deep in the forest. The further you are from any settlement, the better the sky becomes. This is the perfect place to spend your final night under the stars on this journey.

Take your time. There’s nowhere else you need to be.

The final day of Starlight Express.

You wake in Kielder Forest for the last time. If the sky is clear you can steal one more look at the stars before the sun rises. Then you pack up slowly and point the van north.

The drive back to Edinburgh takes you through the beautiful, empty landscapes of the Borders. It’s a gentle end to the trip — time to reflect on the darkness you’ve lived under and the vast skies you’ve carried with you.

By mid-afternoon you’ll be back in Edinburgh, the van dusty and the mind full of stars.

This is the end of nine days spent chasing the night. Three extraordinary dark sky parks, nights spent far from any light, and the quiet knowledge that the sky above is still, thankfully, bigger than all of us.