Galloway Dark Skies Park: Light Pollution Control and Designation Data

November 2009 saw the International Dark-sky Association designate Galloway Forest Park as the fourth Dark Sky Park in the world and the first in the UK. The park covers 300 square miles of forest and hills and holds the Gold Tier designation for exceptionally dark night skies. Forestry Commission Scotland and local residents are committed to maintaining low light pollution levels.

Use Cases

• Mapping dark sky preservation zones based on the park's 300 square mile boundary.
• Analyzing light pollution mitigation strategies based on the commitment to control measures mentioned in the description.
• Studying the criteria for International Dark-sky Association designations based on the park's Gold Tier status.
• Correlating population density with night sky quality based on the mention of very few residents in the area.

Strengths

• Covers a specific, significant 300 square mile area designated as a Dark Sky Park.
• Describes a Gold Tier designation, indicating a high standard for darkness quality.
• Includes a clear temporal fact: designation occurred in November 2009.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Likely compiled from official designation records and land management data.

Time Range

Includes a reference point from November 2009; ongoing status implied.

Freshness

Last updated: unknown

Geography

Galloway Forest Park, United Kingdom.