Cloudy skies lead to mixed fortunes for Scotland's eclipse hunters

The view of the eclipse from Orkney was - like for much of Scotland - obscured at least partially , lucky skygazers have caught glimpses of the eclipse - despite cloud covering much of the view. The Sun disappeared almost entirely behind the Moon, in what was the most dramatic solar eclipse visible from the UK since August 1999. The spectacle started just after on Wednesday evening, and lasted about two hours, with the Sun setting about. At the beginning of the eclipse, heavy cloud cover across much of Scotland left visibility poor. But as the phenomenon progressed, cloud in some areas cleared at least partially, offering glimpses of the rare celestial event. Parts of Spain and Portugal witnessed the phenomenon of a total eclipse, but in Scotland the eclipse shadow meant that up to 95% of the sun was obscured . At its peak, only an arc of the Sun was visible in Scotland. In areas where the clouds obscured the view, some viewers reported that it temporarily got a little darker than it otherwise would have been, as the Moon blocked the light from the Sun. While there will be smaller solar eclipses over the next few years, the next total eclipse will not take place until . Experts had suggested that west was best for those hoping to eclipse. They had advised eclipse watchers to find a spot in an elevated location with unobstructed views west. Crowds at Whitelee Wind Farm hoped to eclipse, but clouds mostly obscured the view Whitelee Windfarm at Eaglesham in East Renfrewshire hosted one of the biggest eclipse events in Scotland. BBC Scotland's Selena Jackson said 50-60 people had gathered there to watch the spectacle. She said that cloud cover scuppered the view for most of the time, but about the clouds parted and a sliver of the sun was visible from behind the moon. Some of the crowd gasped as the sight came into view. Excited eclipse hunters waited patiently on Ayr Beach - but there was not much to see for them due to cloud cover Those at Ayr Beach were disappointed with their view of the eclipse At Ayr Beach, the BBC's Ben Philip said it temporarily felt darker, cooler and eerily quiet during the eclipse. But he felt the dozens who had gathered to witness the eclipse left disappointed not to have got a better view. On a few occasions, the odd break in the cloud gave a glimpse of the Sun and the Moon for a few seconds.