Moffat has become the first in Europe to achieve the status of ‘Dark Sky Town’.

In 2013, the Scottish Government gave Dumfries and Galloway Council £240,000 of funding to turn Moffat into a Dark Sky community.

It was used to change all the street lighting and flood lighting to ‘dark-sky’ friendly lights.

As the first ever Dark Sky Town outside of America, it is hoped this accolade will help Moffat to generate tourism in the winter months.

It has taken three years for the town to be awarded the status by the International Dark Sky Association, and now it is hoped the project will be extended across the region.