UK
Best time to visit Edinburgh
Based on 9 years of real historical weather data (2015–2023). Sunshine hours, rainfall, and temperature — week by week.
Planning a trip, an event, or a party in Edinburgh? Here's what to expect. Summers here run mild (around 16°C at midday), and winters are cold (around 5°C at midday). For the best odds of good weather, aim for July, August and June. Mornings sit around 14°C, climbing to 17°C by midday and staying at 18°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 17°C in the evening. You'll get up to 10.4h of sunshine a day, with some rain. If you can be flexible, steer clear of October and February — that's when conditions are least reliable.
Month-by-month weather
If you visit in January: mornings sit around 4°C, climbing to 5°C by midday and staying at 5°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 4°C in the evening.
If you visit in February: mornings sit around 4°C, climbing to 5°C by midday and staying at 6°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 5°C in the evening.
If you visit in March: mornings sit around 5°C, climbing to 7°C by midday and staying at 8°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 7°C in the evening.
If you visit in April: mornings sit around 6°C, climbing to 9°C by midday and staying at 10°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 8°C in the evening.
If you visit in May: mornings sit around 9°C, climbing to 12°C by midday and staying at 13°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 12°C in the evening.
If you visit in June: mornings sit around 12°C, climbing to 15°C by midday and staying at 16°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 15°C in the evening.
If you visit in July: mornings sit around 14°C, climbing to 17°C by midday and staying at 18°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 17°C in the evening.
If you visit in August: mornings sit around 13°C, climbing to 16°C by midday and staying at 17°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 16°C in the evening.
If you visit in September: mornings sit around 12°C, climbing to 14°C by midday and staying at 15°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 14°C in the evening.
If you visit in October: mornings sit around 9°C, climbing to 11°C by midday and staying at 12°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 10°C in the evening.
If you visit in November: mornings sit around 6°C, climbing to 7°C by midday and staying at 8°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 6°C in the evening.
If you visit in December: mornings sit around 5°C, climbing to 6°C by midday and staying at 6°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 6°C in the evening.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
If you're planning a trip, wedding, or outdoor event in Edinburgh, aim for July, August and June — Mornings sit around 14°C, climbing to 17°C by midday and staying at 18°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 17°C in the evening. You'll get up to 10.4h of sunshine a day, with some rain. This is based on 9 years of real historical weather data (2015–2023), not a single forecast.
What is the weather like in Edinburgh in July?
If you visit Edinburgh in July, mornings sit around 14°C, climbing to 17°C by midday and staying at 18°C into the afternoon, before cooling to 17°C in the evening. You'll get around 10.4h of sunshine per day and 2.6mm of rain — some rain.
What is the hottest month in Edinburgh?
July is typically the hottest month, running mild — good to know if you're planning something outdoors and want to avoid the peak heat.
What is the driest month in Edinburgh?
April is your safest bet if you want to avoid rain, averaging only 1.5mm per day. December is the wettest, at 3.3mm per day — worth planning around if you're hosting anything outdoors.
When should I avoid visiting Edinburgh?
If you have flexibility on dates, October and February are worth avoiding — colder temperatures and more rainfall make them the least reliable months for a trip or event.
All weeks ranked by weather score
| Week | Dates | Midday temp | Range | Sun / day | Rain / day | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W22 | May 27–Jun 2 | 14°C | 6.7° → 18.3° | 11.6h | 1.4mm | 75 |
| W34 | Aug 19–25 | 17°C | 9.8° → 21° | 9.2h | 1.9mm | 75 |
| W28 | Jul 8–14 | 17°C | 9.6° → 20.9° | 11.0h | 2.3mm | 74 |
| W29 | Jul 15–21 | 17°C | 10.5° → 21.8° | 9.6h | 2.6mm | 74 |
| W30 | Jul 22–28 | 17°C | 10.3° → 21.5° | 10.5h | 2.8mm | 73 |
| W35 | Aug 26–Sep 1 | 15°C | 8.9° → 19.8° | 9.2h | 1.6mm | 73 |
| W27 | Jul 1–7 | 16°C | 10° → 20.9° | 10.4h | 2.8mm | 72 |
| W32 | Aug 5–11 | 17°C | 9.7° → 20.6° | 10.3h | 3.0mm | 72 |
| W21 | May 20–26 | 13°C | 6.2° → 18.5° | 11.0h | 1.5mm | 71 |
| W25 | Jun 17–23 | 16°C | 8.6° → 20.4° | 10.9h | 2.5mm | 71 |
| W16 | Apr 15–21 | 10°C | 2° → 15° | 11.1h | 0.4mm | 70 |
| W24 | Jun 10–16 | 15°C | 8.3° → 19.3° | 9.7h | 2.2mm | 70 |
| W20 | May 13–19 | 13°C | 5.1° → 16.4° | 10.3h | 2.0mm | 67 |
| W26 | Jun 24–30 | 16°C | 9.3° → 20° | 10.3h | 3.6mm | 67 |
| W33 | Aug 12–18 | 16°C | 10.4° → 20.4° | 9.0h | 3.1mm | 67 |
| W19 | May 6–12 | 11°C | 3.3° → 16.2° | 11.1h | 2.0mm | 66 |
| W23 | Jun 3–9 | 14°C | 7.4° → 19.4° | 11.1h | 3.0mm | 66 |
| W36 | Sep 2–8 | 16°C | 9.1° → 19.6° | 8.3h | 2.8mm | 66 |
| W38 | Sep 16–22 | 14°C | 7.3° → 18.5° | 8.0h | 2.0mm | 66 |
| W17 | Apr 22–28 | 10°C | 1.3° → 14° | 10.8h | 1.6mm | 65 |
| W31 | Jul 29–Aug 4 | 16°C | 9.6° → 20.8° | 9.0h | 3.7mm | 64 |
| W15 | Apr 8–14 | 9°C | 1.7° → 13.2° | 8.6h | 1.2mm | 62 |
| W37 | Sep 9–15 | 14°C | 8.2° → 18.2° | 7.7h | 2.9mm | 60 |
| W18 | Apr 29–May 5 | 10°C | 3.4° → 14.6° | 9.1h | 2.4mm | 59 |
| W12 | Mar 18–24 | 8°C | 0.5° → 12.5° | 8.0h | 1.7mm | 57 |
| W39 | Sep 23–29 | 13°C | 6.5° → 17.1° | 7.6h | 3.2mm | 56 |
| W13 | Mar 25–31 | 8°C | −0.1° → +12.5° | 7.4h | 1.8mm | 54 |
| W41 | Oct 7–13 | 12°C | 5.6° → 15.7° | 5.7h | 2.5mm | 52 |
| W14 | Apr 1–7 | 8°C | 0.8° → 13° | 7.9h | 2.7mm | 51 |
| W42 | Oct 14–20 | 11°C | 5° → 13.9° | 5.0h | 2.7mm | 48 |
| W43 | Oct 21–27 | 11°C | 4.6° → 14.3° | 4.9h | 2.7mm | 48 |
| W8 | Feb 19–25 | 6°C | 0.7° → 10.7° | 6.3h | 2.5mm | 47 |
| W10 | Mar 4–10 | 6°C | −0.5° → +11° | 6.7h | 2.6mm | 46 |
| W44 | Oct 28–Nov 3 | 9°C | 3.1° → 13.3° | 5.1h | 2.8mm | 46 |
| W45 | Nov 4–10 | 8°C | 2.7° → 12.6° | 4.6h | 2.5mm | 46 |
| W11 | Mar 11–17 | 7°C | 1° → 11.7° | 6.4h | 3.0mm | 45 |
| W40 | Sep 30–Oct 6 | 12°C | 5.5° → 16.1° | 6.0h | 4.6mm | 44 |
| W6 | Feb 5–11 | 4°C | −1.3° → +8.6° | 6.0h | 2.5mm | 43 |
| W9 | Feb 26–Mar 3 | 5°C | −0.9° → +8.6° | 5.5h | 2.6mm | 42 |
| W47 | Nov 18–24 | 6°C | −0.5° → +10.8° | 4.2h | 2.3mm | 42 |
| W3 | Jan 15–21 | 4°C | −0.9° → +9° | 3.9h | 1.8mm | 41 |
| W7 | Feb 12–18 | 6°C | 0.9° → 9.9° | 5.2h | 2.8mm | 41 |
| W4 | Jan 22–28 | 5°C | −0.2° → +9.9° | 3.7h | 2.3mm | 39 |
| W46 | Nov 11–17 | 8°C | 2.8° → 12.5° | 3.8h | 3.3mm | 39 |
| W48 | Nov 25–Dec 1 | 5°C | −0.4° → +10.1° | 3.5h | 2.5mm | 39 |
| W5 | Jan 29–Feb 4 | 5°C | −0.4° → +9.3° | 4.2h | 2.6mm | 38 |
| W51 | Dec 16–22 | 7°C | 2° → 11.2° | 2.3h | 2.3mm | 37 |
| W2 | Jan 8–14 | 5°C | −0.8° → +10° | 3.7h | 3.0mm | 36 |
| W50 | Dec 9–15 | 5°C | −0.2° → +9.9° | 2.5h | 2.3mm | 36 |
| W1 | Jan 1–7 | 5°C | −1.8° → +9.4° | 3.1h | 3.2mm | 33 |
| W49 | Dec 2–8 | 6°C | −0.9° → +11.1° | 2.8h | 4.3mm | 29 |
| W52 | Dec 23–29 | 6°C | 0.5° → 10.7° | 2.5h | 4.5mm | 27 |
Nail down the right dates for Edinburgh
Compare individual weeks, see year-by-year variation, and download the data as Excel — everything you need to plan a trip, wedding, or event.
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