Sky gazers will look be looking north and some will travel hundreds of miles to see the first solar eclipse since 1999, even though it will be 'total' for under three minutes.
For 4,000 years , the moon passing between the sun and the earth has caused a stir on earth.
The ancient Chinese were said to believe what they were seeing at these astronomical events was a celestial dragon devouring the sun.
Such images will play out again on Friday, when the eclipse will occur across the far northern regions of Europe and the Arctic and three cruise ships are already booked to sail to the Faroe Islands and Iceland, calling in at Orkney, Shetland and the Cromarty Firth between them.
Astronomer John Vetterlein of the Auroral & Magnetic Observatory on the Orkney island of Rousay for one is keenly anticipating the event and has been publishing information locally so islanders and visitors alike are ready.
He explains "The longest duration of totality will be two minutes 49 seconds off the coast of the Faroe Islands. This will be the last total solar eclipse visible in Europe before the eclipse of 2026 on August 12.
"At its closest to the UK the central line of totality passes almost halfway between Cape Wrath in NW Scotland and the southern coastal regions of Iceland."
He has worked out the precise times for Rousay literally to the second, but the rest of Orkney will be virtually the same. He says the beginning of the partial eclipse phase should be precisely at 08:35:32 . This will be followed by the maximum eclipse is at 09:39:57 and the end of the second partial phase will be at 10:47:2.
Pat Stone, from tour company Orkney Aspects, says she was almost fully booked up for the eclipse day, with visitors particularly keen to witness the phenomenon from the Ring of Brodgar stone circle, close to the major Neolithic temple site at the Ness of Brodgar.
"We've got several people coming who want to be in the middle of the Ring of Brodgar when the eclipse happens," she said. "One of my colleagues who runs archaeological tours in Orkney has had an international group of visitors booked in for this day for almost two years. There's no better place to witness it than the heart of Neolithic Orkney.
At the other end of the country preparations are underway for special event at the Dark Skies Observatory on the edge of Galloway Forest Park, which was named Britain's first Dark Sky Park in 2009. . It will be the first eclipse since the observatory opened.
David Warrington, resident astronomer, said "We are expecting a good crowd. Obviously we are hoping for clear skies. For most of Scotland we will see it as 95 per cent partial eclipse. If you can imagine a very thin crescent moon, that's what we will see of the sun. But I would expect it to be 97 or 98 per cent in Shetland."
Meanwhile eclipse watchers on Shetland who have worked up an appetite can call in at Frankie's in Brae, which was recently named number one Fish & Chip Shop in the UK in the National Fish & Chip Awards. A special 'Eclipse Platter' is being offered to mark the spectacle.
Steve Mathieson, VisitScotland's Island Manager on Shetland, said:
"The Solar Eclipse is a hugely exciting and rare phenomenon, and Shetland, in particular, is in the right place at the right time. We will have 97 per cent darkness on Shetland during the eclipse so this will be one of the best places in the whole of the UK in to witness the phenomenon.
"We're delighted that nearly 2000 extra visitors will spend a day exploring Shetland on their way up north to watch the eclipse, but it's also not too late for others to get involved with this special astro tourism experience and book their trip here to watch the eclipse and then enjoy the stunning scenery of Shetland. As it's the Year of Food and Drink, we can't think of better way to finish off the experience with than a delicious Eclipse Platter from Shetland's 'star' eatery - Frankie's."
The Royal College of Opthalmologists said looking directly at the Sun can lead to retinal burns and may cause significant and sometimes permanent loss of sight.
One case study reported to the college involved a young patient who suffered solar maculopathy - destruction of the centre of the retina caused by solar radiation - as a result of viewing the Sun through a telescope. The patient was left with permanently reduced central vision.
A spokeswoman said: "The general public must remember that they should not look directly at the Sun or at a solar eclipse, either with the naked eye, even if dark filters such as sunglasses or photographic negatives are used, nor through optical equipment such as cameras, binoculars or telescopes. There is no safe system to directly view an eclipse."
It added that particular care should be taken with children too.
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