In this guide
💡 The Short Version: April and May are the driest and brightest months: April has the least rain (46 mm) and May the most sun (190 hours), and June has the longest days, 17 h 33 min on the 15th. July and August are the warmest, at 19°C by day, and August is the Fringe and Tattoo month: both start on 6 August 2027. October is the wettest month (83 mm) and December has under 7 hours of daylight; the reasons to come in winter are Edinburgh’s Christmas (14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027), Hogmanay and Burns Night on 25 January 2027. Holyroodhouse is shut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 17 September to 20 May. Or book a walk: the Old Town History and Tales Walking Tourad is from £18 for 2 hours.
Edinburgh month by month
The weather is the Met Office’s 1991 to 2020 average for the climate station at Edinburgh Gogarbank, on the western edge of the city (Met Office). The city centre can differ by a degree or so. Highs and lows are the average daily maximum and minimum in °C. Rain is the monthly total and the number of days with 1 mm or more. Daylight is the length of the day on the 15th, calculated for Edinburgh’s coordinates.
Edinburgh’s skyline from Calton Hill. Photo: Jim Barton, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
| Month | High / low | Rain | Sun | Daylight | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 13.2 / 6.5 | 83 mm, 13.0 days | 94 hours | 10 h 33 min | The wettest month. The clocks go back on 25 October. The Samhuinn Fire Festival is on Calton Hill on 31 October |
| November 2026 | 9.5 / 3.6 | 74 mm, 12.9 days | 67 hours | 8 h 19 min | Edinburgh’s Christmas opens on 14 November, and Christmas at the castle on 18 November |
| December 2026 | 7.0 / 1.4 | 75 mm, 13.1 days | 38 hours | 7 h 01 min | The castle is shut on 25 and 26 December and Holyroodhouse from 24 to 26. Hogmanay runs from 29 December |
| January 2027 | 6.9 / 1.5 | 73 mm, 13.3 days | 47 hours | 7 h 33 min | First Footin’ on 1 January. Burns Night is Monday 25 January |
| February 2027 | 7.5 / 1.6 | 61 mm, 10.7 days | 78 hours | 9 h 33 min | Scotland play Italy at Murrayfield on Saturday 6 February and Wales on Saturday 13 February |
| March 2027 | 9.3 / 2.7 | 52 mm, 10.3 days | 111 hours | 11 h 43 min | Scotland play Ireland at Murrayfield on Friday 5 March. The clocks go forward on 28 March |
| April 2027 | 12.0 / 4.3 | 46 mm, 9.2 days | 148 hours | 14 h 06 min | The driest month. The Science Festival runs 3 to 18 April. The castle’s last entry moves to 17:00 on 1 April |
| May 2027 | 14.9 / 6.7 | 50 mm, 10.8 days | 190 hours | 16 h 14 min | The sunniest month. Holyroodhouse opens daily from 21 May |
| June 2027 | 17.5 / 9.4 | 69 mm, 11.1 days | 159 hours | 17 h 33 min | The Royal Highland Show is on 17 to 20 June. The sun rises at 04:25 on 21 June |
| July 2027 | 19.4 / 11.0 | 72 mm, 11.4 days | 161 hours | 17 h 04 min | The warmest month. The Jazz & Blues Festival runs 16 to 25 July |
| August 2027 | 19.2 / 11.0 | 75 mm, 11.2 days | 146 hours | 15 h 10 min | The Fringe runs 6 to 30 August and the Tattoo 6 to 28 August |
| September 2027 | 16.9 / 9.4 | 55 mm, 10.5 days | 125 hours | 12 h 51 min | Holyroodhouse is open daily until 14 September, then Thursday to Monday |
The weather in numbers
- Warmth. July (19.4°C) and August (19.2°C) are the warmest months by day. The year averages 12.8°C by day and 5.8°C by night.
- Cold. December and January are the coldest, at 7.0°C and 6.9°C by day. Air frost falls on 48 days a year, 10 or 11 of them in each of December and January.
- Rain. 784 mm falls over 137 days with 1 mm or more. October is the wettest month at 83 mm and April the driest at 46 mm.
- Sun. 1,363 hours a year. May has 190, and December 38.
- Daylight. The day runs from 6 h 57 min on 21 December, with sunrise at 08:41 and sunset at 15:39, to 17 h 36 min on 21 June, with sunrise at 04:25 and sunset at 22:02. On Burns Night, 25 January, the sun sets at 16:27.
The south side of Edinburgh Castle in snow, seen from the Grassmarket. Photo: Mike Shaw, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates that shape a visit
- Christmas. The market in East Princes Street Gardens is free and closed on 25 December: see Christmas in Edinburgh.
- Hogmanay. The Torchlight Procession is on 29 December, the Street Party on 31 December: see Hogmanay in Edinburgh.
- Burns Night. Monday 25 January 2027, Robert Burns’s birthday. The Scottish Café & Restaurant in the National Gallery of Scotland holds a Burns Supper and ceilidh at £80 a head on 22, 23 and 25 January (Contini).
- Six Nations at Murrayfield. Scotland host Italy on Saturday 6 February (14:10), Wales on Saturday 13 February (16:40) and Ireland on Friday 5 March (20:10) 2027. Match tickets are not on general sale (Scottish Rugby).
- Science Festival. Saturday 3 to Sunday 18 April 2027 (Edinburgh Science Festival).
- Royal Highland Show. Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 June 2027 at Ingliston (Royal Highland Show).
- Jazz & Blues Festival. 16 to 25 July 2027 (ejbf.co.uk).
- August. The Fringe and the Tattoo both start on Friday 6 August 2027, and hotels are over 90% full at festival time: see Edinburgh in August.
Closures that follow the season
- Holyroodhouse. The palace is open Thursday to Monday, and shut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 17 September to 20 May. From 21 May to 14 September it is open daily. It is closed on 24 to 26 December 2026 (Royal Collection Trust). See Palace of Holyroodhouse tickets.
- Edinburgh Castle. Last entry is 17:00 from 1 April to 30 September and 16:00 from 1 October to 31 March. It is closed on 25 and 26 December and opens at 11:00 on 1 January (edinburghcastle.scot). See Edinburgh Castle tickets.
- 25 December and 1 January. On 25 December the castle, Holyroodhouse, the Royal Yacht Britannia, Camera Obscura, the Royal Botanic Garden, Rosslyn Chapel and the National Museum of Scotland are closed. On 1 January Britannia, the Botanic Garden and Rosslyn Chapel are closed, and the castle opens at 11:00.
- Sundays. The One O’Clock Gun is not fired on Sundays, and St Giles’ Cathedral opens at 13:00. Rosslyn Chapel opens at 12:00.
- Trams in August. Bikes are not allowed on the trams in August.
Which month for what
- Long, dry days. May, with 190 hours of sun and 16 h 14 min of daylight, and June, with 17 h 33 min. April is the driest at 46 mm and has 148 hours of sun.
- Warm, but festival prices. July and August average 19°C. The Fringe and the Tattoo fill the city in August: see Edinburgh in August.
- After the festivals. September is 16.9°C by day with 125 hours of sun, and Holyroodhouse is still open daily to 14 September.
- Christmas. 14 November to 3 January, when daytime highs are 9.5°C in November and 7.0°C in December and the sun sets at 15:38 on 15 December.
- A wet day. The National Museum of Scotland is free and open 10:00 to 17:00 daily: see Edinburgh’s museums.
- Cold months. January and February have highs of 6.9°C and 7.5°C, and air frost on 9 or 10 days a month.
Dean Village on the Water of Leith. Photo: Mainlymazza, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay in Edinburgh compares the areas and explains the visitor levy, and hotels near the Royal Mile lists the closest. For a plan once you have your dates, see Edinburgh in one or two days. Edinburgh airport to the city and Edinburgh public transport cover the way in, day trips from Edinburgh the trips out, and where to eat in Edinburgh the meals.
Common questions
What is the best month to visit Edinburgh?
May. It is the sunniest month, with 190 hours of sun on average, a daytime high of 14.9°C and 16 hours of daylight on the 15th. April is the driest month at 46 mm of rain, and June has the longest days, 17 h 33 min on the 15th. The figures are the Met Office's 1991 to 2020 averages for Edinburgh Gogarbank.
What is the wettest month in Edinburgh?
October, with 83 mm of rain over 13 days of 1 mm or more. November (74 mm), December (75 mm) and January (73 mm) are close behind, and the year totals 784 mm over 137 rain days.
Is Edinburgh cold in winter?
Daytime highs are 6.9°C in January and 7.0°C in December, and lows 1.5°C and 1.4°C. Air frost falls on about 10 days in each of December and January. December has 38 hours of sun in the month and under 7 hours of daylight on the 15th.
When are the Fringe and the Tattoo in 2027?
Both start on Friday 6 August 2027. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs to 30 August and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to 28 August.
When does Edinburgh's Christmas start in 2026?
On 14 November 2026, and it runs to 3 January 2027. The markets in East Princes Street Gardens are free to enter and closed on 25 December.
Which Edinburgh sights are closed in winter?
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is shut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 17 September to 20 May, and on 24 to 26 December 2026. Edinburgh Castle is closed on 25 and 26 December and opens at 11:00 on 1 January.
