Highland Council has drafted guidance to reduce light pollution across the region, aiming to improve views of the night sky and support communities seeking dark sky status. The proposals matter because they could shape how future development balances safety lighting with environmental protection, lower energy use and astronomy tourism.

Major developments in or near dark sky sites would need lighting assessments to justify exterior illumination, while measures such as tree planting and fencing could reduce glare. Councillors will consider the draft next week before public consultation; it may later form part of the Highland Local Development Plan due next year, and follows the Isle of Rum becoming Scotland’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2024.