Coming up…

Join us at Mossdale Village Hall on 17^th February for a fascinating presentation on The Winter Sky given by Alistair Scobie, a Trustee of the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory.

• Learn about how deep sky astronomical images are made and what to look out for in our night skies in February
• Hear an update about the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory plans and progress
• Take part in our citizen science project to understand how light pollution affects our view of the night sky.
• Bring your binoculars to make the most of the marvellous dark skies in Mossdale with an outdoor observing session – weather permitting!

This event is the first in an exciting series of talks aimed at empowering Glenkens residents to learn and understand more about our wonderful  environment, and take part in wider projects to better understand or protect it.

Mossdale enjoys exceptionally dark skies, and is situated at the edge of the Galloway Dark Skies Park, a Gold Tier Dark Skies reserve where on a clear night, more than 7000 stars and planets can be seen with the naked eye.

Our speaker, Alistair Scobie, is a retired Project/Process Engineer who spent 35 years working for ICI and DuPont, who more recently became interested in astrophotography alongside longstanding interests in science, mineralogy, photography and outdoor activities such as hill walking, as he articulates below

My astrophotography hobby developed out of initial attempts to take photographs of the night sky with my wildlife camera.

I have found this endeavour very rewarding as it has been a challenging integration of my science, engineering and photography interests.

I am very excited to have recently become a member of the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory team.

Getting people, especially the younger generation interested in science and engineering really motivates me, and I believe the New Observatory at Clatteringshaws will be a great vehicle for this.

All are welcome to this free event. Don’t forget your binoculars, and please bring warm clothing for the observation, should the skies be clear.

Free event – donations to Mossdale Village Hall and The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory welcome

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The Winters Tale by Candlelight is an evening of eclectic entertainment from around the region – think open mic night – more details to follow but get it in the diary!

Here are the dates for the hall meetings which will take place each month this year unless notified at 7.00pm onwards.

February 9th
March 9th
April 13th
May 11th
June 1st
July 6th
August 3rd
September 7th
October 5th
November 2nd
We will have a meeting in December but more than likely a social event…

AGM next year is 4th January 2027

Patti is running a series of Art workshops in 2026 they are super days and well worth attending, lovely company of people involved in their own work and sharing ideas and superb support, guidance and tuition from Patti. Places are limited book now!!

Naturally Smart Mossdale is a local, community-led group for people who want to think clearly about how we live, work, and care for our place.

We will meet to begin with every two weeks in Mossdale Village hall to talk, listen, and learn together.

There is a structured Naturally Smart Programme which has been used all over the world in the past two decades, this can be drawn down to facilitate some sessions but it will not be over used, it has permaculture and biodynamics at its core, and we will use these elements to inform our thinking when we need them.

The focus is simple and practical, based on
• understanding our local environment
• recognising and sharing skills and ideas
• making sense of change (social, environmental, technological)
• supporting one another to live more sustainably and thoughtfully and designing and developing plans to meet our needs in the village.

Sessions are informal and open. Some meetings will involve discussion indoors; others may include short walks, observation of the land, or practical activities. There is no pressure to be an expert — curiosity and respect are what matter.

Come along and find out what we have done and plan to do in 2026 and beyond.