Best UK spots to watch the rare solar eclipse?

There will be some remarkable views over parts of the UK on Wednesday, August 12 2026, when we have Europe’s first total solar eclipse since 1999 and one of the most impressive natural events of the last few decades for Sky-watchers across the continent.

You can see part of it from parts of Britain that are outside the totality path, but for some of the most spectacular views from the UK, you will need a view of the Sun low in the west of Britain towards the end of the afternoon on Wednesday. Spain will be a hugely popular spot to catch both an all-encompassing view of this astronomical event, along with many other countries on the line of totality, while parts of England will get up to 96% coverage of the Sun by the Moon.

Which countries are within the totality path?

The moon will completely cover the sun in a path of totality, which is between 70 to 80 miles (113 to 130 km) in width across a section of North America, Greenland, and Europe.

1. Spain (Sunset Totality)
Spain has the largest amount of land that will be bathed in the path of the shadow, crossing from the north west of the country to the east, covering a significant number of populated areas including the cities Bilbao, A Corua, Zaragoza and Valencia. The shadow will skim over the island of Mallorca before eventually heading out over to North Africa and the Mediterranean sea. This will be a relatively unusual sunset eclipse low in the western sky.

2. Iceland
It will appear over in western Iceland, passing close to Reykjavik, this will be the first total eclipse since 1954 in Iceland and the views over the landscape of glacial ice fields and barren landscapes could be unforgettable.

3. Greenland & Portugal
It just skims over in parts of Greenland, before touching on the far north east corner of Portugal and then heading out across the Atlantic.

What could I see from parts of the UK?

For people in Great Britain, you will witness coverage between 88 to 96%. This is the most amount of Sun blocked from view since 1999 and there will be an undeniable change in the amount of daylight, as well as temperatures.

SW England & Wales: Expect nearly 96% blockage. Cornwall is expected to get over 95.5% cover.

London & SE England: Peak at 91%,.

Scotland & NI: Around 88-92% coverage will be witnessed.

The exact details for watching it from the UK:

The eclipse is expected to be in the late afternoon or early evening. For most of the UK, it will start with first contact soon after 6:00 PM BST and will be at its peak between roughly 7:10 PM and 7:15 PMBST depending on your location, before finally concluding after 8:00 PM BST.

Location Time: (Approximate)

London & SE England 6:17PM BST to 8:06 PM BST. Peak coverage 7:12PM BST (91%)

Cardiff & South Wales 6:17PM BST to 8:06 PM BST. Peak coverage 7:12 PM BST (91%)

SW England 6:18PM BST to 8:10 PM BST. Peak coverage 7:16 PM BST (95.5% atTruro)

Birmingham & Midlands 6:15PM BST to 8:04 PM BST. Peak coverage 7:11PM BST (92%)

Liverpool & Manchester 6:13PM BST to 8:04 PM BST. Peak coverage 7:10 PM BST (92%)

Edinburgh & Scotland 6:08PM BST to 8:00 PM BST. Peak coverage 7:05 PM BST (89%)

Belfast & Northern Ireland 6:10PM BST to 8:02PM BST. Peak coverage 7:08 PM BST (91%)

Best places to watch in the UK for a partial eclipse:

Since it’s in the late afternoon evening, you’ll ideally need an unobstructed view of the horizon to get the best views of this solar coverage. Coastal areas with views out to the west are always ideal with their flat horizon, particularly on the south and west coasts of Britain. High points in cities such as Primrose Hill and Parliament Hill can be perfect, particularly in places that do not have vast amounts of woodland.

It sounds obvious but you must never look at the Sun directly. Doing so without appropriate protection can result in temporary blindness, or permanent damage such as solar retinopathy.

Using ISO 12312-2 approved glasses

The safest way to observe the eclipse is by using specialised solar viewing glasses or handheld solar viewers certified with the ISO 12312-2 standard. Regular sunglasses, even dark ones, are not safe enough.

Making a simple eclipse viewer

You can make an easy solar eclipse viewer using two pieces of cardboard. Puncture a pinhole into one, and project the Sun’s image onto the second piece held a few feet away.

Viewing through a telescope or binoculars

If you want to see the eclipse magnified, use a telescope, binoculars or a camera with a professional-grade solar filter attached. Do not look through them without a filter.

UK solar eclipse and meteor shower will light up the sky this Wednesday