Many Scots were left underwhelmed by the solar eclipse on August 12, as thick clouds obscured the rare celestial event. The partial solar eclipse, which was expected to show over 90 per cent of the sun covered by the moon, was largely hidden from view, prompting a wave of complaints on social media.
Clouds ruin the display
Weather reports had warned that "stubborn clouds" could make watching the solar eclipse more challenging, but many Scots were not expecting the conditions to make the phenomenon nearly impossible to see. Following the event, numerous observers took to social media to express their frustration, with some uploading images of grey, cloudy skies where the eclipse should have been visible.
One TikTok video, set to the song 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet' by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, has gained over 34,900 views, showing the clouds that obscured the eclipse. In the caption, the user wrote: "This eclipse is going to be epic here in Scotland... assuming we can actually see it through the clouds. Scotland doing what Scotland does best."
Social media reaction
Comments on the video echoed the disappointment. One person wrote: "Omg literally! It was sunny and clear skies all day and then the eclipse happens and the clouds descended." Another shared: "I'm actually so gutted." A third added: "Thank f*** I didn't buy them glasses or a colander ffs. It was a normal night in sunny Parkhead lol."
Some Scots also directed their ire at Scottish forecaster Sean Batty, who had hyped up the eclipse and even travelled to Spain to witness the full event. Adele Houston, sharing her own TikTok during the eclipse, said: "Somebody is taking the p*ss right out of me. Was that it? Sean Batty sold me a dream. Like I was expecting the place to go black, stars. I even bought Jaffa Cakes. I was buzzing. What an absolute let down."
Mixed reactions
One commenter joked: "Aye... but Sean buggered off to Majorca." Another added: "You must have been buzzing if you got Jaffa Cakes. Get wee Sean to send you the money for them."
However, not all were upset. One Scot offered a reality check, writing: "What were you expecting? We're in Scotland. We only see the sun about twice a year." Others found some amusement in the situation, with one person noting: "You don't need eclipse glasses, the clouds are thick enough." Another remarked: "There were people that probably made a fortune selling the eclipse glasses too, everyone's gonna be wanting a refund."
