Today there was a solar eclipse with a 95% totality predicted for Edinburgh, so this morning we climbed Calton Hill to get a good vantage point.

There were hundreds of other people already up on the hill with all manner of devices – cameras, telescopes, pinhole cameras, colanders and even a welding mask.

By the time we reached the summit the eclipse had already started so I set up my tripod and took my first shots, one of which recorded an interesting rainbow-like effect on the clouds around the sun.

The next image shows the full 95% totality, leaving just a sliver of the Sun visible. Although the light noticeably dimmed it by no means went dark. These images are artificially dark as they were taken through a 10-stop filter with a fast shutter speed in order to show the Sun at its clearest.

I’m not sure exactly what causes the rainbow effect, or what settings on the camera best show it, as some of my images have it but most don’t. Here’s another one with the rainbow effect visible, this time zoomed out.

Having passed the totality the moon’s path meant that the crescent of the Sun appeared to have switched to the other side.

There was a really good atmosphere on the hill, with a mix of locals and tourists gathered to view the spectacle.

While up there primarily for the eclipse it’s impossible not to also enjoy the great views over Edinburgh such as this one across to the Old Town, with the spires of St. Giles’ Cathedral and the Hub visible along with Edinburgh Castle.

Another great view is that past the iconic Balmoral clock tower along Princes Street.

Some light cloud was now drifting across the Sun, which actually made it easier to photograph as it reduced some of the intensity of the light.

The moon continued to roll across the sky revealing more the Sun, and as things went back to normal we made our way down off the hill.