Solar eclipse in Scotland: What you'll see and where to watch

The UK’s fullest solar eclipse for the next 54 years will take place this evening.

The extremely rare event will occur when the moon passes directly in front of the sun, plunging Scotland into near-darkness for a brief time.

If you miss this one, you’ll need to wait until 2081 for the next, or 2090 for the next total eclipse.

What you’ll see

It starts at 6pm, where 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.

The eclipse will peak at around 7pm when only a small arc of the sun will still be visible on the top.

The moon will then continue to drift across the left of the sun, before clearing it shortly after 8pm.

Where to watch

The Met Office has identified the west of Scotland as the best location to view the eclipse., with the best coverage expected just after 7pm.

The moon will obscure more than 90% of the sun, the most it has been blocked above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999.

Those living in Inverness will likely see the moon obscure 90.74% of the sun at 7.03pm, and in Edinburgh, 90.71% of the sun will be hidden at 7.06pm.

Aberdeenshire, Orkney and the Shetland Islands will only see 88% to 90% of solar coverage.

Those living on the Western Isles and along the west coast will see between 92% to 94% of the sun obscured; however, visibility may be difficult due to cloud cover.

On the east coast, the sky will be clearer.

The Met Office has released where the best places to see the solar eclipse Met Office

Overall, Majorca and southern Spain is the best place to watch the spectacle.

The area will be plunged into complete darkness with the moon completely obscuring the sun.

How to watch safely

You must never look directly at the sun.

The cosmic phenomenon can be viewed through special eclipse glasses.

The Royal Greenwich Observatory has warned the public that regular sunglasses are not a safe enough method to view the eclipse.

The planetarium also said you can use household items, such as a collander, by pointing it towards the sun with your back facing it, to see the shadow of the eclipse through the holes.

You can also make your own pinhole projector using a cereal box, and other items found around the house.

The next time the moon obscures as much of the sun will be in 2081 and the next total solar eclipse in the UK will be in 2090.