Around 600 people visited Dundee’s Mills Observatory on Friday to view the solar eclipse.
Staff at the observatory admitted they were taken aback by the huge numbers of people who made the climb up Balgay Hill to witness the rare astronomical event.
Queues of eager stargazers had formed outside ahead of the observatory’s 8am opening time.
Staff had 300 pairs of glasses ready for people to view the eclipse but twice that number turned up.
However, the lack of protective glasses did not deter anyone, with people using items ranging from cardboard tubes to colanders in order to view the eclipse safely.
The observation platform was crammed with people all craning their eyes towards the sky and there were just as many people outside on the ground surrounding the observatory.
Dilys Connon from Barnhill brought a steel colander to allow her to witness the eclipse without damaging her eyes.For full coverage of the local events, see Saturday’s Courier”You can wear it on your head and it keeps aliens from getting in as well,” she joked.
Mark Kimber used a large cardboard tube to allow him to view the eclipse.
“It comes from a roll of cardboard and lets more people say it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Steve Addison brought along a welder’s mask to use.
“I bought it to fix our gate and have been waiting years for another reason to use it,” he said.
Dozens of people also climbed The Law to witness the eclipse.
For much of the UK, the eclipse revealed itself as an abnormal level of darkness at 9.30 in the morning while the sun remained hidden behind a blanket of cloud.
Around the UK, the proportion of the sun covered by the moon increased towards the north, ranging from 84% in London to 89% in Manchester, 93% in Edinburgh and 97% in Lerwick in the Shetland Isles.
There will not be another solar eclipse visible from Scotland until 2026 and it will be 2090 before there is a full eclipse.