In pictures - Crowds and joy at Calton Hill solar eclipse watch party

Crowds of skywatchers took their places on Calton Hill in Edinburgh to eagerly await the moon pass over the sun in the once-in-a-generation celestial phenomenon.

The summit was packed with those hoping for a view of the solar eclipse, with the city’s astronomical society organising the viewing event.

People formed a long queue at the observatory gates at the start of the evening hoping to collect a sought-after pair of eclipse glasses – but supplies ran out at about 6pm.

Others had brought kitchen colanders or home-made devices made from cereal boxes or sheets of paper for viewing the eclipse indirectly.

Cheers broke out as the eclipse started to peak around 7pm, and talk of cloud cover spoiling the view quietened as the sky show revealed itself.

Sugey Giacometto, 51, from Edinburgh, was watching with 11-year-old son.

He said: “It’s so interesting and rare. It’s a once in a lifetime sight and you never know when you will see it again. I’m really interested in astronomy and astrology and how it impacts us all.

“Even though it’s partial and a bit cloudy, I hope we see it. I’ve brought my son here because I never got that chance when I was a child.”

Julia Mihevc, 29, from Edinburgh, described Calton Hill as “absolutely heaving”.

She added: “I’ve seen Calton Hill crowded before but this is another level. It’s a great atmosphere though.

““I think people just want to be a part of something that’s rare.

“I don’t know what to expect but I really hope we see something."

Eddie, 16, from London, took a detour from the Fringe to head up to Calton Hill.

"I'm here in Edinburgh with my mum visiting for the Fringe and we thought we’d come up to see it

“Our Airbnb gave us this free box of shortbread so we thought we’d use to make a pinhole viewer. I don't really know if it will work, I've done pinhole photography before and I know that works.

“The atmosphere just feels very human. Everyone has come together to be part of something and see an eclipse. People have come with their family and friends. It just feels like a very human thing.”

The eclipse began shortly after 6pm, with the “peak” extent of the sun’s coverage happening at slightly different times in different areas of the country.

It peaked in Inverness 7.03pm, when 90.74 per cent of the sun was obscured, while in Edinburgh the peak came at 7.06pm, when 90.71 per cent of the sun was covered.

Some western areas of the country saw more than 92 per cent coverage.

The skies above Edinburgh were covered by hazy clouds throughout the period of the eclipse, with the sun completely hidden behind thick cloud in the 15 minutes or so leading up to the peak.

Sophie Harju, 26, and Jack Nevin, 27, both from Edinburgh, had watched the eclipse via a homemade pinhole camera and a colander.

Ms Harju, who works in the NHS, said she had not known what to expect, but that it had been “impressive”.

“It was a nice experience to see so many people out. But we maybe were expecting it to get a bit darker,” she said.

“It was a cool event to be part of and nice to see a little bit”.

She added: “This is the biggest Fringe show”.

Mr Nevin, who works in sustainability, said it was “cool” to see so many people come out to see it.

“People like the spectacle,” he said.

“They like when you can metric something, when you can say ‘this won’t happen again until this time’.

“I think people like to get together when there is something they can say is unique and novel”.

David Ellis-Shea, who had come out to watch the eclipse with his wife and eight-month old daughter, said it was a “special moment”.

“We watched the Moon pass slowly in front of the sun, in between broken cloud,” the 34-year-old, who had been wearing eclipse glasses, said.

“We got very lucky to see it perfectly as it crossed over a sort of gap in the clouds. Almost perfect timing really.”

He added it had been important to bring his daughter to see it given the next one is not due to happen until 2081.

“We were both reflecting that we probably won’t be here for that, but she may well be,” he said.

“And it was just a special moment to share with her, and hopefully she’ll be able to share that moment in the future with her family if she’s still around then, and remember the time she spent with us here.”