Would you like the opportunity to look at one of the best night skies in the world? Well, you don’t have to look that far, as an island located in north Wales has become the first European site to gain an international Dark Sky Sanctuary certification.
Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), off the Llŷn Peninsula, is now acknowledged as one of the darkest and most remote places on the earth.
It’s a “huge achievement,” says the trust which owns the island.
Wales has other Dark Sky locations and reserves but areas made as sanctuaries are not as common and have rigid standards in terms of the standard of the night sky.
The trustees of the island are hopeful that this recognition will put the island profile on the map whilst making Wales known as a “dark sky nation.”
“There’s no doubt that achieving this prestigious status for Ynys Enlli will raise the profile of the island as a unique place in Wales and amongst the best in the world to appreciate the night sky,” says Sian Stacey, chair of the island’s trust
She believes the award is the result of years of hard work. “We hope it will also go a long way in securing the long-term sustainability of the island.”
Ynys Enlli is two miles off the point of the Llŷn Peninsula. Its geographical location is why it is one of the darkest places in Britain.
The mountain on the island works as a barrier to limit light from the mainland. Their closest source of light pollution is over 70 miles [112.6 km] in Dublin, across the Irish Sea.
Menna Jones, Enlli’s development manager, thinks the award will bring new investments to Ynys Enll and the surrounding areas.
“It’s very important to us at Ynys Enlli that we work with the local community and of course what we’ll be doing over the next 10 years is to invest in the built environment, in the heritage and we need to develop other projects which will enhance what’s already there,” she adds.
“Because it’s a small, remote community it’s good that the eyes of everybody in Wales and the world will be on Ynys Enlli.”