A region in Scotland has been named the best place in the world to go stargazing, beating out the likes of Canada and Australia.

2024 is gearing up to be one of the most exciting years for astronomers with the country's first meteor shower already being recorded earlier this month.

The dark sky spot was located in the south west of Scotland with other places in England, Wales and Northern Ireland also being named.

See the Scottish region named the world's best place to see a meteor shower

Galloway Forest Park in Scotland was named the best place to go stargazing thanks to its low population density and incredibly dark skies famed across Europe.

The list, which was compiled by StressFreeCarRental.com, said of the area: "The region has some of the darkest skies in Europe as barely anyone lives in the area bringing in very little light pollution."

Speaking of the research, John Charnock said: “With interest in the stars, skies and space growing, many are switching out beaches and sun loungers for dark skies and meteor showers.

“We expect that Astrotourism will be a huge trend in 2024, and more people than ever will flock to remote spots to witness celestial events like the northern lights and a lunar eclipse.

“Spectacular locations to indulge in Astrotourism include New South Wales in Australia where tourists can sleep under the stars and the Brecon Beacons in Wales where visitors can catch a glimpse of sparkling galaxies.”

See the best stargazing spots across the globe

Here is the full list of top stargazing spots to go and visit this year:

  1. Galloway Forest, Scotland
  2. Churchill, Canada
  3. Northumberland, England
  4. Malin Head, Northern Ireland
  5. Brecon Beacons, Wales
  6. New South Wales, Australia
  7. White Desert, Egypt
  8. La Palma, Canary Islands

Northumberland in England, Malin Head in Northern Ireland and Brecon Beacons in Wales were also named on the list.