You'll have no doubt heard by now that most of Europe will get to witness a glorious interstellar light show on the morning of Friday March 20. That's pretty exciting news; better yet, the path of the eclipse crosses over Europe's northernmost parts, meaning Edinburgh - while not quite as fortunate as, say, the Faroe Islands - is still in a pretty prime position for watching it. It's also a city blessed with more than its fair share of vantage points - we've assembled a list of the best ones for the morning of the 20th.
Arthur's Seat
Yep, let's get the obvious one out of the way: as the highest of Edinburgh's seven hills, the extinct volcano in Holyrood Park is a front-runner whenever it comes to getting a nice view of something in Edinburgh. Given that it's such an odds-on favourite, there's a chance the summit could get a bit crowded that day, but we reckon two factors will count in your favour: (a) it's pretty exhausting to haul your carcass up there first thing in the morning, and (b) the eclipse takes place during working hours, so unless everybody has a super-kind boss who'll give them the morning off (please boss?), a fair whack of folk will be trapped indoors out of your way.
Calton Hill
Less obvious than Arthur but not exactly under-the-radar either, Calton Hill has the added benefit of being home to some of Edinburgh's most iconic architecture. Just imagine glimpsing the eclipse through the Grecian pillars of the National Monument - it'll give the whole shebang a sort of timeless-cosmic-event-reccurring-throughout-eternity sort of vibe. Oh, and this is probably as good a point as any to remind you: do not look directly at the eclipse. Bad for your eyes, innit?
Blackford Hill
Further out of the city centre and therefore less likely to be mobbed by ecliptomaniacs, Blackford Hill is also home to the City Observatory, which we take as a good sign: if the folk who are into this sort of thing all year round chose this hill as the perfect place from which to observe extraterrestrial phenomenon, who are we to second-guess them? On which point, here's another reminder: do not, under any circumstances, look at the eclipse through a telescope. SUPER-bad for your eyes.
Edinburgh Castle
You can pay to get into Edinburgh Castle and see the eclipse over the city skyline in all its glory; alternatively, you can linger about the car park on the Castle Esplanade (at the risk of being moved on or having a tourist coach block your way). It's a pretty iconic spot regardless, though obviously you won't be able to enjoy Castle Rock's ecliptical profile if you're standing on it.
Holyrood Park, The Meadows, Inverleith Park, the Botanics, Porty Beach, ANY FLAT SPACE IN THE CITY
At risk of stating the bleeding obvious, the eclipse will take place in the sky, so all you really need to see it is a patch of ground with a northward view that isn't over-encumbered with trees and buildings. The options above offer a bit of iconic skyline and atmosphere to go with the experience, and that's nice and all, but it's not essential. The important thing is to enjoy yourself while not putting yourself at risk of blindness, so to be on the safe side, here are some actually useful hints and tips:
- Make a pinhole projector using two pieces of card and a thumbtack. It's cheap, easy and will add a tactile DIY element to the event.
- Buy some eclipse glasses. They look like old school 3D glasses and you can buy a pack of four for less than a tenner.
- Buy or borrow some welder's goggles. NASA recommends grade 14 or above. You'll also be able to use them at your next steampunk gathering.
- Aluminised Mylar sheeting. Sounds hi-tech, but readily available online, and you get to sound like a proper boffin when people ask you why you've brought tinfoil to an eclipse.
The eclipse is forecast to take place between 8.30am and 10.44am on Fri Mar 20, peaking at 9.35am.