Solar Eclipse 2026: Date, where in Europe will see totality, how much of the sun will be obscured in Scotland- and when is the next total eclipse in Britain?
There will be quite the show over Europe this summer.
The skies above Scotland have been a dramatic place in the last year - we’ve had Northern Lights, meteor showers, planetary processions and a partial lunar eclipse.
But this summer will see perhaps the most dramatic of celestial events take place above Europe - a total eclipse of the sun.
While Scotland won’t experience totality, the sun will be very nearly completely obscured. Fingers crossed the clouds stay away.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, obscuring (or partially obscuring) the sun if you’re looking at it from Earth. Their paths rarely intersect, so it’s a quite a special event to see - particularly a full eclipse when the sun is fully obscured.
When will the 2026 solar eclipse take place?
The eclipse will take place on Wednesday, 12 August, and it will peak in the UK at around 7.20pm. It will be the most significant eclipse in the UK and Scotland since 1999.
Where in the sky will the solar eclipse be seen in Scotland?
As the eclipse take place just before sunset the sun will be quite low in the sky - that means you’ll need to find an unobstructed view of the northwest horizon. We expect there will be quite a few people at the top of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh watching the phenomenon.
How much of the sun will be obscured in Scotland?
While there will not be totality (when the sun falls completely into shadow) it will still be a pretty spectacular sight in the UK, with up to 90 per cent of the sun covered - meaning that Scotland will experience a ‘cresent sun’. It will be slightly more obscured the futher west you go, so the west coast should offer the most impressive show. In the Scilly Isles and Cornwall there will be up to 96 per cent totality.
Where in Europe will the eclipse reach totality?
Scottish eclipse chasers won’t have far to travel to get the chance to experience totality (weather willing). Large parts of Spain will see the sun go dark, including the Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, La Rioja, Basque Country, Aragon and Valencia regions. It will also be visible in the popular holiday resorts of the Balearic Islands - Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca.
Western Iceland will also experience totality, including the Capital of Reykjavík which is well served by flights from Scotland. In Reykjavík the sun will go dark for around a minute at around 5.48 local time.
More challanging to get to, but sure to be a remarkable sight free of crowds, the eclipse will be experienced on the rugged coast of eastern Greenland.
When is the next total solar eclipse in the UK?
You have a bit of time to wait for the next total solar eclipse in the UK - it will take place on September 23, 2090.
How can I watch the partial solar eclipse safely?
Looking directly at the sun during a solar ecplise can cause serious damage to your eyes, or even blindness, so here are a few ways to catch the phenomenon safely:
Use Eclipse glasses
These special glasses mean that you can look at the sun without damaging your eyes. You must check that they are not damaged and come up to strict safety standards - they should have a ISO 12312-2 mark on them.
Pinhole projection
This is the simplest way to see the eclipse without having to buy glasses. Simply make a pinhole in a piece of cardboard and hold it so that the sun shines through it onto a piece of white paper around three feet away. You’ll be able to see the eclipse projected onto the piece of paper.
Find a colander
The holes in a colander creates multiple pinhole projections. Again, hold it so that the sun streams through the holes onto a sheet of white paper and see multiple tiny eclipses projected onto the paper.
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