North Ronaldsay’s dark skies success will shine a light on the island during Science Festival weekend

The spotlight is set to shine on North Ronaldsay during March with an exciting weekend of free activities that celebrate and explore the natural environment and dark skies of the island, as part of the 2023 Science Festival.

The North Ronaldsay Community Association will host the 2023 North Ronaldsay Science Festival from 10 – 12 March thanks to funding from British Science Week and the North Isles Landscape Partnership.

In 2021 North Ronaldsay joined a very select number of locations around the world in being recognised as an International Dark Sky Community by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).

The accreditation came after more than a decade of hard work by the local community, including dark-sky measurements, comprehensive lighting surveys, and commitments to preventing light pollution and preserving dark skies.

Event organiser, Alex Wright, said: “Join us for a weekend of fun, education, and adventure!
The programme includes guided walks and talks, telescope and photography sessions and people can join as many or as few as they like.

“The North Ronaldsay Community Association secured Dark Skies Status from the International Dark Skies Association in 2021. The local astronomy group hosts a number of events and activities throughout the year to encourage and promote the protection of our dark skies and this theme runs through the 2023 festival.”

Some of the speakers that will take you on a journey from the land to the skies will include:

Eric Walker from Conon Bridge in the Highlands who is a retired whisky distiller and well-known amateur astronomer in the region.  He regularly speaks at astronomy clubs and events, with his specialism being astrophotography. He has been a stalwart of the Orkney International Science Festival for the past seven years.

Callum Potter retired to Rousay in search of dark skies and aurorae. He is a keen amateur astronomer and Director of the Deep Sky Section of the British Astronomical Association and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. He frequently speaks to astronomy clubs and other events.

Henry Memmott is a Science and Biology Teacher at Kirkwall Grammar School, with a keen interest in a variety of plants and animals. Beyond teaching, he is a keen photographer and lover of the outdoors.

Robert Foden runs a small printing business in Kirkwall and has given numerous talks thoughout the UK on a variety of subjects.  He was a huge hit at last year’s North Ronaldsay Science Festival with his talk on the first flight around the world. This year he will tell us about the thrilling voyages of Roald Amundsen – a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure in the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

George Gay is the Principal Ornithological Warden at North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory and a part-time guide for Heatherlea Birdwatching. Originally from Somerset, he now lives on North Ronaldsay where he’s been since April 2015.  Away from wildlife, George enjoys watching football, especially Bristol City and Hartlepool United. George will share his knowledge of the birds of North Ronaldsay during a guided walk.

The North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme (NILPS) is a £4.5m programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), Historic Environment Scotland, Orkney Islands Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), NatureScot and the Orkney LEADER 2014-2020 programme. NILPS supports and delivers projects that promote the culture, heritage and landscape of the North Isles and runs until December 2024.

NILPS may be able to support North Isles residents with travel costs - please contact valerie.dawson@orkney.gov.uk for more information. General enquiries should be made to Alex Wright alexandrawright70@gmail.com.