Where to watch the solar eclipse 2026
A view of the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse from Madras, Oregon.NASA/Gopalswamy. Home page cover photo of Greenwich Park London: Fas Khan at Unsplashed
National Geographic has announced that a spectacular solar eclipse is on its way on 12th August, with NASA fuelling excitement around the event. In a recently released film, the US space agency urged people to look skyward and participate in an experience of “instant chills”.
It's a natural phenomenon most will want to witness, occuring when the sun, moon and earth fall almost exactly into line, producing a total eclipse as the moon’s shadow passes over the planet. This time it sweeps from northern Russia across Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain and a small portion Portugal. Other parts of the world, including the UK and Ireland, as well as Canada and parts of the northern and eastern US, will experience a partial eclipse.
This marvel will be visible across the entire UK – and promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime event for many, as it won’t be visible again from mainland Britain until 2090. The spectacle begins at 6:17pm and the height of the eclipse is expected at 7:13pm.
London, Manchester and Glasgow will see about 91% of the sun eclipsed, and Cardiff and Belfast around 93%. In London, the Royal Observatory is hosting solar observing at its Greenwich home from 4pm onwards, and will also live broadcast the rare celestial phenomenon.
Would-be London watchers are advised to head for the hills for the best vantage points: Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath, Primrose Hill in Regent's Park, Greenwich Park near the Royal Observatory, and Telegraph Hill in south-east London are all deemed ideal viewing spots.
But it is those in the southwest of England who will be best placed to watch the eclipse, where 96% of the sun will be covered at Land's End, 95.6% at Lizard Point and 96.5% at Bishop Rock in the Isles of Scilly.
While excitement is mounting, the Government is advising people not to rely on sunglasses during the spectacle. It suggests buying genuine eclipse glasses from reputable retailers, including Royal Museums Greenwich or seeking other solutions such as making a pinhole camera at home. Read the full advisory here.
For “astro-tourists” looking to make the most of the wonder, here’s the best luxury spots for watching the eclipse:
Scotland
Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland
This 22-bedroom hotel, set in 10 acres of private estate and woodland, boasts an unobstructed western horizon offering a breathtaking vantage point to watch the event. Its grounds overlook the Firth of Clyde toward Ailsa Craig and the coast of Northern Ireland, giving guests a view to the Hebridean sea free of city sightlines and light pollution.
The historic five-star castle, built in 1870 in the Scottish Baronial style, has featured in several "best hotel" lists and holds one Michelin key – it's the kind of place you can order a private chef, butler or concierge, but is also family-friendly and offers numerous experiences. Those who want to make the most of the eclipse, will find the stargazing experience elevates the occasion: typically guests are taken out into the gardens with a private Dark Sky Ranger, armed with a hot chocolate, blankets and night binoculars, before returning to the castle for dessert and a nightcap.
The Galloway Forest Park, home to one of the UK's first Dark Sky Parks, is close to the hotel. The lack of light pollution here reveals the Milky Way and, when conditions align, the spectacle of the Northern Lights. Garden View Suites from £415 for bed and breakfast; glenappcastle.com
Wales
Penmaenuchaf, Dolgellau, North Wales
Perched high above the Mawddach estuary on the edge of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, this picture-postcard county house hotel commands sweeping west-facing views towards the coast, making it a superb location for eclipse watching. The hotel is something of a gourmet escape, and guests are well fed by chef Dan Andreé who uses produce from the house’s own garden. The à la carte menu at the Afon restaurant includes starters of barbecued monkfish and mains of "Welsh Mountain Hogget" (£84 for three courses). The hotel is ensconced in spectacular countryside and well-placed for walks in Cadair Idris and the wider Eryri range, the trails of Coed y Brenin Forest, and the Mawddach estuary. Nearby Dolgellau, Betws-y-Coed and Conwy offer independent shops, galleries and historic sites, including Conwy Castle. Rooms start from £260 per night; penmaenuchaf.co.uk.
Grove of Narberth, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is expected to see around 94% coverage during the partial solar eclipse and the Grove of Narberth, which nestles in meadows, woodland and rolling countryside, is an idyllic eclipse watching spot.
The cosy rooms have a modern country aesthetic, sprinkled with Welsh arts and crafts pieces, which are a nod to the traditions of the area. Dining is part of the experience: there are two restaurants, with the Fernery led by chef Douglas Balish, crafting seasonal menus using produce from the hotel’s own walled garden. The three-course Market menu (£80 per person), for instance, offers lobster and salmon raviolo with Thai bisque; Meat matters ex-dairy beef with leeks, girolle mushrooms and celeriac; and Mille-feuille 70% chocolate and raspberry petit four. Rooms start from £285; grovenarberth.co.uk
Cumbria
Farlam Hall, Cumbria
Cumbria's open fells and wide horizons, far from city light pollution, ensures that over 90% of the solar eclipse will be on view during the event. This hotel is perfectly placed, positioned on the edge of one of the world's largest Dark Sky Parks, an area already known for stargazing. It’s an intimate retreat with 12 guest rooms and six Stable Suites set within a building with roots tracing back to 1428, which was transformed into a Victorian country house during the 19th-century. The modern country interiors are designed for comfort and are complemented by The Cedar Tree by Hrishikesh Desai, a Michelin-star restaurant. Expect to lunch on starters of cured and poached loin of salmon, with homemade salmon tartar and lassi emulsion; and mains of Cartmel Valley venison and braised haunch croquette with a red wine sauce (the three course lunch menu is £75 per person). Midweek room rates start at £340 per night for bed and breakfast; farlamhall.com
Cornwall
Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate, St Ives, Cornwall
Southwest England offers the highest “obscuration” in the country (up to 96% near sunset) and there are a number of luxury coastal properties with expansive western horizon views that will make the most of the spectacle. This hotel in St Ives, is set directly on a beachfront with wide coastal aspects ideal for evening sunset viewing, plus guests can enjoy the comforts of a spa, and the estate’s privately owned 25-acre Blue Flag beach. There’s a diverse selection of accommodation here: from furnished rooms in the main house, to valley cottages and suites, coastal beach houses, and luxury glamping pods. Mor, the hotel’s restaurant, is overseen by chef Tom Sellers, head of London’s two-Michelin-star Restaurant Story, and showcases seafood: from cured Cornish Bream with kaffir lime and alliums (£20) to Cornish Blue Fin Tuna tartare (£24). Prices start from £200 for a superior room depending on the season;.carbisbayhotel.co.uk
Devon
Lympstone Manor, Exmouth, Devon
This high-end contemporary country house hotel has sweeping vistas across the Exe estuary – perfect for catching the late-day alignment. It resides in a Grade II listed Georgian mansion nestled in a 28-acre estate with its own vineyard producing English sparkling wine, and a Michelin-starred restaurant headed by renowned chef Michael Caines. The 21 rooms and suites, named after local estuary birds, are elegantly appointed, but guests can also stay in cosy and secluded woodland shepherd huts where they are immersed in nature. Standard rooms are priced from £504 to £549 per night, while shepherd huts start from around £610 per night, depending on the season; lympstonemanor.co.uk
Gara Rock, Salcombe, Devon
A secluded luxury hotel perched on a rugged clifftop with dramatic ocean, western sky vistas and its own sandy beach below. This idyllic spot has zero light pollution from nearby towns, promising great views of the spectacle.
The accommodation segues from stylish suites, and penthouses with freestanding roll-top baths, to family-friendly self-catering cottages, all wonderfully dog friendly. Indulges include a spa with a hot tub, steam room and treatment rooms, a private mini-cinema for cosy evenings, and a restaurant and bar with a sun terrace for outdoor dining. The dinner menu here includes treats of Aged 220g Charolais fillet of grass fed beef with Roscoff beer onion, tenderstem broccoli and triple cooked cut chips with bacon mayonnaise (£46); and 500g Tamworth pork chop with Gara mustard, kale, pickled shallot and a whisky peppercorn sauce (£38). Prices for a standard double room range from £184 to £298 per night, depending heavily on the season; gararock.com
Official Dark Sky Parks and Reserves
Northumberland & Kielder: England's premier gold-tier dark sky park, famous for pitch-black skies and the Kielder Observatory.
Galloway Forest Park: Scotland's first dark sky park, spanning 300 square miles of remote forest with minimal light pollution.
Elan Valley Estate: A sprawling private and public valley in mid-Wales holding International Dark Sky Park status.
Tomintoul and Glenlivet: Located in the Cairngorms National Park, noted as Scotland's most northerly dark sky park.
Major Dark Sky Reserves: Large protected national landscapes like Exmoor, the South Downs (Moore's Reserve), Brecon Beacons / Bannau Brycheiniog, Snowdonia / Eryri, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, and Cranborne Chase.
Sark: Designated as the world's first dark sky island community in the Channel Islands.
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