A Speyside distillery has received recognition for its commitment to reducing light pollution within the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Cairngorms Dark Sky Park.
Tamnavulin Distillery, part of the Whyte & Mackay group, worked with representatives from the Dark Sky Park to achieve 100 per cent lighting compliance by replacing 57 lights at their site in Glenlivet.
Sam Robinson, secretary of the Cairngorms Astronomy Group presents distillery managerLeon Webb with an award for achieving 100 per cent lighting compliance. Picture: CairngormsAstronomy Group
Tamnavulin’s dark sky friendly lights are now fully shielded and downward-facing to prevent light from escaping into the sky and use a warm white colour temperature of 3000 Kelvin or less to minimise blue light emissions.
This upgrade has helped to reduce skyglow from the distillery, preserving the area’s natural darkness and further enhancing its star-filled skies.
Leon Webb, manager at Tamnavulin Distillery, said: “We’re really proud to be the first distillery in Scotland to achieve 100 per cent dark sky lighting compliance.
“Working with the Dark Sky Park team has been a positive experience, and we’re delighted to play our part in protecting the area’s incredible night skies.
“There’s something genuinely special about being able to step outside and see a sky full of stars, and we hope our efforts encourage other distilleries and local businesses to make the switch too.”
This milestone follows several years of consultation with local distilleries in the Tomintoul and Glenlivet area.
While Tamnavulin is the first to reach full compliance, it is hoped that others will follow over the next two years.
Sam Robinson, secretary of the Cairngorms Astronomy Group and co-founder of the Cairngorms Dark Sky Park, said: “On behalf of Cairngorms Astronomy Group I would like to thank the staff at Tamnavulin Distillery and Whyte & Mackay Ltd for the extensive upgrades to the distillery external lighting and congratulate them on achieving full lighting compliance within the Dark Sky Park.
“In particular, I would like to thank Leon Webb, distillery manager for his commitment to dark skies and for guiding this project to completion.”
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