The solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, will be the UK's fullest since 1999, with over 90 per cent of the sun obscured in some areas. It will not be surpassed until 2081.
Best Places to View in Scotland
The Met Office has confirmed the west of Scotland, including the Western Isles and Glasgow, offers the most coverage, with 92 to 94 per cent of the sun hidden. However, cloud cover may hinder visibility.
Inverness will see around 90.74 per cent coverage, while Edinburgh will see 90.71 per cent. Parts of Aberdeenshire, Orkney and Shetland may see slightly less, but they have the clearest sky windows, offering the best chance of breaks in the cloud with 88 to 90 per cent coverage.
Peak Times Across Scotland
The eclipse runs from 6:08pm to 8:06pm, with maximum coverage shortly after 7pm. 'First contact' occurs at around 6.08pm in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Inverness (90 per cent coverage) and Aberdeen (89 per cent coverage) peak at 7:03pm. Fort William (91 per cent) and Dundee (90 per cent) peak at 7:04pm. Edinburgh (90 per cent) and Glasgow (91 per cent) follow at 7:05pm and 7:06pm respectively. Lerwick in Shetland (88 per cent coverage) peaks at 6:58pm.
Safety Advice
Never look directly at the sun without special eclipse glasses or a DIY projector. Regular sunglasses offer no protection.
The UKHSA has warned that genuine eclipse glasses must have 'ISO 12312-2' or 'ISO 12312-2:2015(E)' printed on them. Without this, they are not safe to use.
