Which total and annular solar eclipses will be visible from the British Isles in the coming years, and what are the best

The short version

• No total solar eclipse will cross the UK mainland until 23 September 2090 [15][18][24]. Before that date, the only place in the British Isles where totality actually happens is the Channel Islands, on 3 September 2081 [2][34][65].
• No annular eclipse will cross the British mainland until 23 July 2093 [4][36][64]. An earlier annular eclipse on 11 June 2048 passes just north of Shetland, with mainland UK seeing over 60% coverage [1][33][66].
• In the nearer term, the British Isles are in an unusually active spell for partial eclipses, with at least one visible almost every year through the end of this decade [90][119]. Partial eclipses are far commoner than totals; total eclipses visible from the UK or Europe are very rare [56][108].

What's coming in the next few years

12 August 2026 — the deep evening partial

• The UK and Ireland get a partial eclipse, with around 90–96% of the Sun covered at maximum [19][47][74]. The path of totality passes over Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain, so nobody in the British Isles sees it as a total eclipse this time [80][95][131].
• The further south-west you go, the deeper the eclipse gets [75][98][123][132]. Examples: London, Manchester and Glasgow 91.4% [84][114]; Belfast 93.1% [84][114]; Cardiff 93.2% [84][114]; Edinburgh 91% [100][126]; Wales around 90% and Pembrokeshire 94% [101][102][127][128]; Cornwall up to 95% [99][125]; Mizen Head almost 97.5% [104][130]; and Great Skellig in County Kerry up to 98% [85][113].
• From London, first contact is about 6.17pm BST and maximum is about 7.13pm [20][145]. Evening times across the UK are in BST and vary slightly from place to place [76][20][47]:

Places	First contact	Maximum	End
Edinburgh and Glasgow	6.08pm	7.05pm	8.00pm
London, Bristol, Cardiff	6.17pm	7.12pm	8.06pm
Truro, Cornwall	6.18pm	7.16pm	8.10pm

• Across the UK, the whole event runs from about 5.59pm to 8.10pm, with the best part around 7.05–7.13pm [86][111]. Timings shift by several minutes across the country, so it is worth checking local times [134].
• Because the Sun and Moon will be low near sunset, you need a clear, unobstructed view to the western horizon — a coastal viewpoint, hilltop or open landscape works well [21][48][87][112]. Proper eclipse glasses are essential; ordinary sunglasses are not enough [133]. Cloudy August skies are a real risk [89][133].
• Suggested spots include Land's End, Strumble Head, St Mary's, Durdle Door, Yr Eifl and Parliament Hill [135]. Popular national parks such as Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast, South Downs, Lake District, Cairngorms and Isle of Skye are also expected to be busy [88]. In London, Primrose Hill and Greenwich Park are well-placed vantage points [103][129].

2 August 2027 — the morning partial

• The next solar eclipse visible from the UK is a partial one on 2 August 2027 [12][150]. The Moon will cover roughly a quarter to just under half of the Sun, depending on where you are and whether the sky is clear [13][151].
• From London it starts around 9am BST, reaches maximum around 10am, and ends around 11am, with roughly 45% of the Sun in shadow; these exact times apply to London [22][147][148]. Maximum obscuration is about 48% in southern England [91][115].
• The total phase of this eclipse is over southern Spain, North Africa and parts of the Middle East, while the UK sees it only as a partial [52][153].

26 January 2028 — sunset partial from an annular eclipse

• The annular "ring of fire" path crosses Portugal and Spain for this one. The UK instead sees a partially eclipsed sunset, with up to about 56% of the Sun obscured, best from western locations such as Cornwall and Wales [53][92][106][116].

12 June 2029 — tricky sunrise partial

• This one is much more marginal: a shallow partial eclipse at sunrise, visible only from northeast England and eastern Scotland [93][117].

1 June 2030 — partial sunrise from another annular eclipse

• An annular eclipse elsewhere brings a partially eclipsed sunrise to the whole UK, with up to about 49% of the Sun blocked in the southeast [94][118]. One listing also shows annular eclipse entries for 1 and 15 June 2030, without giving visibility details in the snippet [44][45]. Other notable UK partials are expected later in 2053 (40%), 2066 (60%), 2075 (70%), 2082 (70%) and 2088 (~40%) [79].

The next totality in the British Isles

3 September 2081 — Channel Islands totality, near-total on the mainland

• On 3 September 2081, totality occurs in the Channel Islands, with over 80% partial coverage across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and over 60% through Scotland [2][34][65]. This is described as a very deep partial eclipse before the 2090 total [16][155].
• Up to about 99% of the Sun will be obscured on the British mainland, with Cornwall and the south coast the best places to observe [17][78][156].

23 September 2090 — the next UK total eclipse

• This is the one everyone is waiting for: the next total solar eclipse visible from the UK [15][18][24]. It follows a track similar to 11 August 1999 but shifted slightly north, happens very near sunset, and has a maximum duration of 2 minutes 10 seconds in Cornwall [3][35][63].
• It is described as a spectacular event for England's south coast, from Portsmouth and Brighton to Dorset's Jurassic Coast and Land's End [83][110].

23 July 2093 — the next mainland annular eclipse

• The next annular eclipse to cross the British mainland runs over southern Scotland, Northern England and most of Northern Ireland. The centre line runs roughly from Ayr to Newcastle, and near it you could see just over 5 minutes of annularity, with over 80% partial coverage for the rest of the country [4][36][64].

Even later total eclipses in the British Isles

• 3 June 2133: far north-west Scotland including Lewis, Harris, northern Skye and Shetland; maximum duration 3 minutes 36 seconds [5][37][67].
• 7 October 2135: central and southern Scotland plus north-east England; centre line from Tiree and Mull through Livingston to Seahouses; maximum 4 minutes 50 seconds [6][38][68].
• 25 May 2142: Channel Islands and coastal south-east England including Eastbourne, Hastings, Hythe, Folkestone and Dover; maximum 2 minutes 42 seconds [7][39][69].
• 14 June 2151: south-west Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, much of England and north-east Wales; centre line from the Kintyre peninsula to the Suffolk coast; maximum 3 minutes 48 seconds [8][40][70].
• 4 June 2160: Land's End in Cornwall and the Scilly Isles; maximum 2 minutes 58 seconds [9][41][71].
• 8 November 2189: Cornwall, south Devon, Channel Islands and south-west Ireland; centre line through Truro; maximum 4 minutes 10 seconds [10][42][72].
• 14 April 2200: Northern Ireland and northern England; centre line from Enniskillen to the east coast between Bridlington and Hornsea; maximum 1 minute 23 seconds [11][43][73].

Earlier annular eclipse near the British Isles

• 11 June 2048: an annular eclipse passes just north of Shetland, with mainland UK seeing over 60% coverage [1][33][66].

For the 2081, 2090, 2093 and later eclipses, the evidence gives locations, durations and time-of-day descriptions, but not exact local clock times, so precise "look up at this time" details are not available for those events.