For a couple of hours or so on the morning of Friday March 20, daylight will dim or drop out altogether across most of northern Europe as the biggest solar eclipse in 16 years occurs. The further north you live, the more darkness you’ll experience. Us Scots aren’t quite a cosmically privileged as the Faroe Islanders in this respect – they’ll witness what’s referred to as (and it’s fun if you imagine this in a Bonnie Tyler warble) a ‘total phase’ solar eclipse – but we should still get a fairly (inter)stellar light show, with coverage of between 90% and 98%.
Glasgow isn’t as blessed as hilly ol’ Edinburgh for vertiginous eclipse vantage points, but nevertheless, there are a few good high spots in and around the city with an open view northwards from which to spectate – see below for list, plus some tips on how to stay safe while you’re staring. If you’re a fan of rare celestial phenomena then whatever you do don’t get drunk the night before, sleep in until lunchtime and miss the whole thing. The last major eclipse to be seen from the UK took place in August 1999, and the next one isn’t forecast until August 2026.
Cathkin Braes Country Park
Rising to over 200 metres above sea level, the Cathkin Braes hills to the south east of the city include the highest point in the Glasgow area, and thus are our prime pick for eclipse witnessing. The down side is that they’re a bit of schlep for people who live centrally – five miles or so. But buses operate regularly from the city centre to Ardencraig Road and Carmunnock Road by Cathkin Braes Country park, and take approximately just 20 to 30 minutes. From there it’s a case of hoofing it to the highest point you can reach (make for the wind turbines). Warning: in case you haven’t already noticed, it rains a lot in Glasgow, so be sure to pack your waterproofs.
Springburn Park
A good shout if you don’t fancy a journey outside of the city. Situated a short way north east of Glasgow city centre, Springburn Park sits on the crown of Balgrayhill, one of the highest points in Glasgow, about 110 metres above sea level. Not quite as high as the Cathkin Braes, then, but not nearly as much of a journey either. Again, be mindful of rain.
Mugdock Castle
For added mystical-historic-epicness, the 13th century ruins of Mugdock Castle should be just the theatre in which to observe this heavenly happening. Sadly the high tower is closed for the winter, but the castle is built on a hill in the middle of Mugdock Country Park to the north of Glasgow (you’ll need a car), so even just a gaze northwards from the battlements should give you a relatively unobstructed perspective. Did we mention that it rains a lot in Glasgow? Oh we did.
Hogganfield Loch
The south bank of Hogganfield Park’s large shallow loch will provide a suitably pretty and panoramic setting. An added interesting dimension, being as Hogganfield is one of Glasgow’s most important locations for bird watching, may be observing how some of the wildlife reacts to this rare astronomical event. Anecdotal evidence from previous eclipses (not that many people tend to spend them watching anything other than the sky) suggests that the birds will stop singing, and you’ll possibly even notice some of them making a break back to their nests to roost. They’re probably wise, because it’ll most likely be raining.
Glasgow University Library
Not just a mighty tall building, but a mighty tall building on a high hill, and you’ll be indoors, away from the inevitable rain – perfect! Well, apart for the fact that this one is only really accessible by students of Glasgow University Library, or good fibbers to that effect (sorry Glasgow University Library staff). We’d much prefer to be recommending a publicly accessible high building here, but annoyingly the only two we could think of – the Glasgow Tower at the Science Centre and the Titan Crane at Clydebank – are both still closed for the winter. So, faked GU library cards it is, unless anyone has any suggestions we’ve overlooked here (comments section below).
Wherever you watch the eclipse, the important thing is to enjoy yourself while not risking blindness. So to be on the safe side, here are some 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 10.43am on Fri Mar 20, peaking at 9.34am.