Perseid meteor shower: UK’s best stargazing spot named | UK | Travel

If watching twinkling stars, stunning streaks of light and fireballs in the beautiful night sky sounds like your idea of fun, this month will be particularly special for you. The rare Perseid meteor shower will be lighting up UK skies until August 24, with the spectacular show reaching its zenith overnight on August 12 to August 13 when the new Moon creates particularly dark viewing conditions.

UK stargazers are in for a treat as one of the fastest, most active, and brightest meteor showers lights up the skies. The Perseid meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the debris of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The celestial event commenced on July 17.

For those wondering exactly where they should head to catch a glimpse of the meteor-lit starry skies, or even those just wanting to enjoy a stunning night of stargazing in the UK — the country’s best spot has been named, and it’s in Yorkshire.

In fresh rankings revealed by travel experts at Ski Vertigo, the UK’s top stargazing destination has been crowned, making it the perfect destination for people to witness one of the brightest meteor displays of the year.

Best spot for stargazing in the UK

The Yorkshire Dales has been named the UK’s top stargazing destination as people prepare for one of 2026’s rarest celestial events.

The travel experts compared the region’s protected dark-sky status, recognised public viewing access and accommodation availability against other British stargazing sites featured in the analysis. The Yorkshire Dales ranked first, with Bodmin Moor in Cornwall coming in second and Stonehaugh in Northumberland following behind in the third spot.

Top UK stargazing spots

Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire

The entire National Park holds International Dark Sky Reserve status, awarded in November 2020, featuring a protected central zone spanning 30% of the park alongside multiple established observation sites.

The Yorkshire Dales provides vast expanses of pollution-free sky where observers can witness the Milky Way, planets, meteors and on occasion the Northern Lights. Its Dark Sky Reserve core extends throughout the upper reaches of Swaledale, the Rawthey Valley, Garsdale, Littondale and Wharfedale.

Bodmin Moor, Cornwall

Bodmin Moor is a strong alternative to the Yorkshire Dales, boasting remarkably dark skies acknowledged internationally since 2017 and holding International Dark Sky Landscape status since that time. The classification encompasses part of the protected Cornwall National Landscape alongside a surrounding two-mile buffer zone, with much of the moorland offering open-access terrain.

Stonehaugh, Northumberland

A free-to-access Dark Sky Discovery Site featuring a stargazing pavilion nestled within Kielder Forest, the village of Stonehaugh sits at the very heart of Northumberland International Dark Sky Park.

Stonehaugh stands out as a superb stargazing destination, combining genuinely dark conditions with practical public accessibility. Its pavilion is completely free to use, with parking readily available at the nearby picnic site, and the location sits within one of Europe’s largest protected dark-sky areas.

While the Perseids make summer a particularly well-timed period to visit, the longer nights of autumn and winter can prove equally rewarding, affording visitors considerably more hours of darkness to enjoy.

While choosing a remote location may feel like the job is all done, it’s only one part of a successful night-sky break.

Alex Dyer, travel planning specialist and Managing Director at Ski Vertigo, advises: “Look for genuine darkness, but also check that the viewing point is publicly accessible, that parking is permitted and that your accommodation is not a long drive away on unfamiliar rural roads.

“Check the cloud forecast and Moon phase before setting out, take warm layers even in summer and use a red-light setting rather than a bright phone screen. Your eyes need about 15 minutes to adjust, and a poorly placed torch or car headlight can quickly spoil the view for everyone nearby.”

For those still wondering if heading to any of these top stargazing spots for the Perseid meteor shower will be worth it, the Natural History Museum says: “At its peak, the Perseid shower can feature more than 100 meteors per hour, including bright streaks and fireballs. This makes it one of the best celestial events of the year to watch, particularly in 2026.”