The Welsh location rated the best stargazing spot in the UK

Nation.Cymru staff

Ahead of the UK’s next New Moon on July 14, a new ‘stargazing index’ has revealed the best locations you should visit for a spectacular celestial experience.

Taking into account factors such as 2026 Bortle scores (a nine-level numeric rating system that measures the darkness of the night sky at a particular location), July cloud cover percentages and social media posts of the night sky in each location, the research crowns Wales’ St David’s as the UK’s best place to observe the stars in 2026, with an overall score of 68.6 out of 100.

This Welsh city not only offers spectacular viewing opportunities of the night sky, but with a population of under 2,000 and being the home of the Welsh patron saint, Saint David, it also gives a unique setting to gaze up at the night sky. With the lowest Bortle score in the UK (four out of nine) and a reasonable 46% cloud cover rate throughout the month of July, you’re certain to spot the bright, starry core of our galaxy stretching across the horizon in St David’s.

Second on the list is Bath, a city steeped in 2,000 years of fascinating history which you can immerse yourself in by day, then cosy up under the dark sky by night to see what the skies have to offer. The Somerset city scores 65.3 out of a possible 100 thanks to its 5.5 Bortle rating, 43% average July cloud cover and an impressive 1,003 images dedicated to Bath night sky on Instagram.

Taking third place is Exeter in Devon, scoring 65.2 on the Stargazing Index. This south-west location is just a stone throw away from Dartmoor National Park, which is one of the only UK spots where it is legal to wild camp, making it the ultimate location to perch yourself for the New Moon in mid-July. If you’re more of a city dweller, you can catch the cosmos down at Exeter Quay or surrounded by the Roman Gate ruins.

Interest in the stars is certainly taking off this year; Instagram tags for #Stargazing have hit 1.8 million posts, whilst Google searches for ‘best date for stargazing’ are up 300% in the past six months and interest in ‘stargazing apps’ has surged by 95% in the same timeframe, suggesting that our connection to the moon and stars is continuing to grow.

The UK’s Top 20 Stargazing Spots 2026

Interestingly, the majority of the top 20 stargazing locations are based in the South of the UK, with the most northerly spot being St Asaph in North Wales. The rest of the top 20 is dominated by southern spots, with popular tourist destinations like Bournemouth (4th), Brighton (8th) and Southend-on-Sea (18th) all earning their place on the list.

Gareth Allen, Founder of Big House Experience who conducted the research, said: “An element of staycations that we are seeing more and more over the past couple of years is that people are really looking for ways to incorporate shared experiences into their travels. Stargazing and celebrating the moon cycles is just another way for families and friends to connect and enhance their stays.

“The trend has even made its way into some of our luxury large homes, with many now featuring telescopes in their offering for those who really want to get a good view. While a large portion of our homes have outdoor fire pits or hot tubs where you can sit under the starry sky with your favourite snacks and drinks to enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer. This is the kind of experience that will always be a highlight of any getaway and is guaranteed to be discussed by friends and families on future trips.”

If you want to book your very own cosmo-gazing holiday, you can see the entire Big House Experience homes HERE

Methodology

The 20 best stargazing spots in the UK were identified by analysing Bortle Dark Sky Scores (2026), average cloud cover in July and Instagram hashtag data for 94 UK locations. Each location was scored out of 100 using a weighted formula to give a final ranking based on the highest overall indexed ‘Stargazing Score.’ Data correct as of June 2026.

Sources

Bortle Score: Lightpollutionmap.app

Cloud Cover: weatherspark.com

Instagram: instagram.com