Longest Day Scotland 2024: Summer Solstice date, sunrise time, sunset time, cause and traditions

This week will see the longest day of the year. | Canva/Getty Images

This week will see those people living in the Northern Hemisphere enjoy the longest day of the year.

Also known as the Summer Solstice, it will be particularly pronounced in areas far north, with some countries such as Iceland barely experiencing any darkness - experiencing the so-called Midnight Sun.

Here’s everything you need to know.

What is the Summer Solstice?

The Summer Solstice occurs when the Earth’s North Pole has its maximum tilt towards the sun - meaning the northern hemisphere receives its maximum amount of sunlight. The closer you are to the North Pole, the more sunlight you will experience on the day of the summer solstice.

Conversely the the Southern Hemisphere will receive the least number of daylight hours (progressively less the further south you go) - meaning it’s their Winter Solstice.

When is the Winter Solstice?

This year the Summer Solstice falls on Thursday, June 20.

When will it get light and when will it get dark in Scotland?

The exact times of the sunrise and sunset will vary slightly depending on when you are in Scotland.

In Edinburgh sunrise will be at 4.26am and sunset will be at 10.03pm.

In Aberdeen sunrise will be at 4.12am and sunset will be at 10.08pm.

In Inverness sunrise will be at 4.18am and sunset will be at 10.19pm.

In Lerwick sunrise will be at 3.38am and sunset will be at 10.34pm.

Given there’s still a fair bit of light around both before sunrise and after sunset this means it’s unlikely to become completely dark at any point in the far north of Scotland.

What are the traditions of the Winter Solstice?

Famously in England, people flock to see the sun rise at Stonehenge on the morning of the Summer Solstace - it’s thought that the date had an impact on the positioning of the Noelithic stones.

Meanwhile in Scotland the main celebrations can be found in Orkney and Shetland, thanks to their strong links to the Scandinavian countries where the Summer Solstice is a key date in the calendar.

Torches and fires are lit to symbolise light defeating darkness and ward off evil spirits, while ferns and St John’s Wort are used to bring good luck, and elderberries are eaten to protect against witchcraft.

In other parts of Scotland people simply get up early to enjoy the sunset from viewpoints like Arthur’s Seat, in Edinburgh.