If you’re in London, on the spring equinox (around March 20th), the sun rises almost exactly due east. But by summer solstice (June 21st), it’s coming up around 50° north of east. In winter? That same sunrise shifts to about 39° south of east.
For a place like Edinburgh, the summer sunrise is even farther north—think 55° north-east—because you’re closer to the top of the world. It’s like the sun is giving Scotland a bigger, flashier grand entrance.
UK sunrise: Your pictures of beautiful skies - BBC Weather
What About the Very First Sunrise in the UK?
Now here’s a fun trivia bit for your next pub quiz: the earliest UK sunrise doesn’t happen in England at all. It happens at Ness Point in Lowestoft, Suffolk—the easternmost point of the British mainland. But even that’s not the champion.
The true winner is Out Stack, a tiny, windswept rock north of Shetland. Technically, it’s the first place the sun touches UK soil, but good luck getting your morning brew there. It’s basically a bird toilet with a great view.
