Your complete guide to the solar eclipse in Scotland

You’re just weeks away from witnessing one of the biggest and most spectacular eclipses Scotland will see in your lifetime.

Here’s everything you need to know before the big day.

When is it?

Wednesday, August 12, from 6pm.

How to prepare

Before we get into the details of this, if you’re hoping to see the eclipse, now is the time to purchase some eclipse glasses before they’re sold out!

You can also make a pinhole camera, which sounds more complicated than it is. It’s just basically a piece of paper with a hole in it; there are plenty of videos out there on how to make them.

It seems obvious, but I have to say it – never look directly at the sun, even at maximum eclipse.

Now the fun stuff…

Partial solar eclipse as seen on May 31 2003 in Ingolstadt/Bavaria/Germany iStock

Where is the best place to be?

Well, that all comes down to the details of cloud cover on the day, and we’re still a bit too far out meteorologically to pick a spot. I’m hoping to be in the best location, but I don’t think I will be able to pick my spotting point until just a few days before the event, when we have a bit more confidence.

That being said, because this solar eclipse will occur nearer the end of the day, having a clear view to the west is vital as the sun will be lower in the sky, although the full eclipse will occur during sun up, as it doesn’t set until 8pm on that day.

So, anywhere with a good view to the west is ideal; so the west coast and the Hebrides are probably in one of the best seats for this one.

Where is the biggest eclipse?

Majorca and northern Spain would be the best place to be as these areas will be temporarily plunged into complete darkness with the moon completely obscuring the sun.

With the path of totality heading out into the Atlantic, western parts of Scotland are where the biggest bite will be taken out of the sun.

Barra will see the maximum eclipse in Scotland, with 93% of the sun being blocked out at maximum eclipse, compared to 88% over Unst in Shetland – the least eclipsed place in Scotland – but that’s still very impressive!

When to watch out for the solar eclipse STV News

The movement of the eclipse

At 6pm on August 12, a small dark section will begin to appear on the bottom-right of the sun as the moon begins to move in front of it.

Over the next hour, this will drift from right to left with the eclipse peaking at around 7pm when only a small arc of the sun will still be visible on the top.

The moon then continues to drift across the sun, moving to the left, and will be clear of the sun shortly after 8pm, with the sun setting an hour later.

How dark will it get – will the lights go on?

From past solar eclipses I’ve experienced, you need a huge amount of the sun to be covered before you notice any dimming of the light on the ground, which seems odd.

But in reality, I’ve only noticed a difference once 80% of the sun is obscured. That means this one should bring a very noticeable darkening on the ground, with more than 80% of the sun covered in all parts of Scotland.

It’s possible that street lighting may be triggered in some areas in the west of the country around 7pm.

What else might happen?

From around 6.30pm, you may start to notice a slight cooling as the amount of sunlight we get starts to decrease. This will only really be noticeable if you’ve got direct sunlight and it’s a warm day.

By 6.45pm, you should notice a change in light levels on the ground, with flatter light and a slight darkening of the sky.

Between around 7pm and 7.10pm, you may notice birds go quieter as they’re fooled into thinking it’s later than it actually is. Of course, at this point in the day, they will already be preparing for the end of the day – but this could speed that up. They may sing more again as the sky brightens after 7.15pm, which will really confuse them.

Solar eclipse glasses allow you to watch the spectacle safely STV News

One of the biggest eclipses in our lifetime

As solar eclipses go, this one is massive for Scotland and one of the best you’ll probably experience in your lifetime.

If you’re under the age of 72, then this will be your second biggest solar eclipse in Scotland, behind the eclipse of 2015.

The biggest solar eclipse to affect Scotland in modern times was a total eclipse that passed over Unst and Yell in Shetland in 1954, although only 80% of the Sun was covered in Glasgow and Ayr.

For most people alive today, the 2015 eclipse remains the biggest, when 98% of the sun was covered across the Isle of Lewis.

Many of you may remember the hype around the total eclipse in the south west of England in 1999, but for Scotland, that was smaller than the one we’re about to experience.

If I miss this one, how long do I need to wait for the next big one?

There will be several smaller solar eclipses over the next 70 years, with only one bigger than this one, so it’s a very long wait!

In September 2090, there will be a solar eclipse approaching 95% in Edinburgh and Glasgow and just over this in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.

Unfortunately, I don’t think any of us will experience the next full eclipse in Scotland as that’s over 100 years away in 2135!

Follow for more

I’ll be keeping you up to date with all things eclipse as we get closer to the date, so keep an eye on our website and social platforms for more information in the coming days!