With Britain thinking about heading to the moon, the skies may once again, as it was in the Sixties, be the focus of people's dreams. Certainly the hundreds of amateur Scottish stargazers are hoping this will be the case. Last Wednesday, the Edinburgh Royal Observatory launched its Dark Sky Scotland project, encouraging people to head to remote areas and look up.

It is the brainchild of Dan Hillier, who hopes Dark Sky Scotland will be the catalyst for Scots and overseas visitors alike to recognise this country's stellar potential. "If you look at a light pollution map of western Europe, Scotland, along with northern Scandinavia, has the largest areas of dark sky."

Much of our landscape is devoid of street and domestic lighting which otherwise obscures those billions of stars twinkling in the night. An 18-month programme of mini astronomy festivals and educational workshops, complete with inflatable planetariums, comet demonstrations and meteorite handling, will open the eyes of the public, school children and teachers to the fascinating world above our heads.

In addition, after the success of pilot workshops on Islay and Skye, Hillier aims to stimulate interest in astronomy among the tourism sector. Many of the 35 planned Dark Sky events will incorporate free, two-hour "star tourism" workshops, giving B&B and hotel operators the chance to gain an understanding of the key planets, stars and features in the night sky.

Equipped with written facts and tips about how best to convey astronomy information to guests, it's hoped those working at the coal face of Scottish tourism will leave inspired to share their new- found knowledge with visitors. "Astronomy strikes at people's curiosity and imagination, so we hope Dark Sky Scotland will enable us to tap further into that vein of interest," says Hillier.

With more than £200,000 already committed, a galaxy of public agencies, including Forestry Commission Scotland clearly shares the Observatory's enthusiasm for a project that could result in B&B owners encouraging guests to see Sirius and the white band of the Milky Way. Furthermore, with autumn, winter and spring the primary seasons for stargazing, Dark Sky Scotland could allow visitors to "meet the stars" and prolong the tourism season in Scotland's remoter areas.

To some extent this is already happening. While astronomers routinely pack their telescopes for a holiday under the clear skies of Hawaii, the Galloway Astronomy Centre and B&B is proof that the concept of dark sky tourism already enjoys a tentative foothold in Scotland.

Since 2004, Mike Alexander's converted cottage near Whithorn has welcomed holidaymakers keen to learn about outer space through the lens of one of five powerful on-site telescopes. "As part of their holiday, we offer guests the opportunity to gain some basic training about how to use a telescope and interpret what things they see," says Alexander.

Initially enticed north from Wales by Scotland's dark skies, Alexander refers to "the mass of stars" visible above Galloway.

"Many people know little about the night sky so you can't just provide a telescope and leave visitors to it. Whether it's for one or six hours or sunset to sunrise, I am always available for advice and support." And, as star-struck visitors beat a path to their door, winter is Alexander's busiest period.

While Alexander has targeted the astronomy market, he hopes guest houses will not simply add dark sky tourism as part of a general outdoor activity tick list.

"I don't think that's the way forward," he cautions, as guests could become frustrated if proprietors fail to answer basic astronomy questions.

Yet, others already see the potential. John Epps of Crannaig House by Aberfoyle plans to include basic information about astronomy for his guests. Noting the dark skies enjoyed above the Trossachs, he envisages introducing the subject as a topic of conversation with guests whereupon interested individuals will be invited outside to view features such as The Plough with the naked eye.

Jeremy Hastings of Islay Birding is also keen to tap into Dark Sky Scotland. He believes knowledge of the night sky can heighten an appreciation of the natural world. "We have fantastic dark skies here and I am already running a bush craft school that incorporates aspects of astronomy as a way of teaching people how to navigate at night."

However people choose to engage with the project, Hillier is convinced astronomy will strike a chord with all ages and dispel the notion that astronomy is a high-brow science. Notably, workshops will focus on what can be seen with the naked eye as opposed to with binoculars and telescopes. "The idea is to make astronomy accessible for everyone," he stresses.

Though adamant astronomy isn't rocket science, Hillier acknowledges it may take years before the success of Dark Sky Scotland becomes apparent. "If one day I walk into guest houses to find owners interested in telling me about the night sky, then I'll have an indication that Scotland's tourism industry has truly begun to take an interest. After all, there isn't anywhere else in the world with a nationwide programme designed to exploit dark skies."

The vision is that next autumn, as people in small villages and remote islands throughout Scotland start noticing the fading light, it will be more than just the nights that are drawing in.