The Solway After Dark

What do you notice when a familiar landscape changes after sunset?

Picture the Solway Coast after dark. The sea you can hear more than see, the horizon wide open, the sky slowly filling with stars. A place you might know well by day feels like somewhere else entirely.

This isn't a traditional stargazing session, and you don't need to know a single constellation to come along. Guided by Ina of Luonto Living, we'll look up at the October sky, but we'll also look around us at the landscape, the wildlife and the stories that only really emerge in the dark. We'll explore how darkness shifts our sense of a familiar place, how artificial light affects wildlife, and why a naturally dark sky is worth protecting, with a few cultural traditions from Finland and the Nordic region woven through.

And because Ina brings a bit of Finnish outdoor culture with her, there'll be a pause partway through to warm up and share proper cinnamon buns (korvapuusti). In Finland, being outdoors and sharing food and conversation are all part of the same thing.

Whatever the evening gives us, we'll make the most of it. A clear sky might reveal stars and planets; cloudier conditions simply open up other ways to explore the night. Either way, you might leave looking at the sky, and the land beneath it, a little differently.

Your guide for the evening

Your guide, Ina, runs Luonto Living, a landscape interpretation business in Dumfries & Galloway inspired by the Finnish relationship with nature. Her background spans environmental education, nature guiding and international work, from a PGCE in Geography to years leading tours through rural Transylvania. She's a fluent speaker of English, German and Finnish, and she's brilliant at helping people read a landscape rather than just look at it. Who's it for?

This is a Rebels Collective evening. The Collective is a community run by Ben Hickman of Reflective Rebels, for business owners and freelancers who want a bit more from life than the usual hamster wheel. It's about coming together in unexpected ways, not hotel lobby networking events. You don't need to be a member to come along, and there's no pitch at the end. If seeing something familiar with fresh eyes, in good company, sounds like you, it probably is.

Come and see the Solway differently. Ten places only, so wrap up warm and grab your spot.

Good to know: suitable for ages 10+ (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult). Bring warm, weatherproof clothing and suitable footwear. Binoculars are welcome if you have them, but aren't necessary.