Best time to visit Edinburgh
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in Edinburgh
30 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Edinburgh).
- 1
Hogwarts Express and Scottish Highlands Tour from Edinburgh - 2
Outlander Film Locations Day Trip from Edinburgh - 3
5 Day Isle of Skye, Loch Ness & Inverness From Edinburgh - 4
3-Day Isle of Skye and Scottish Highlands from Edinburgh - 5
West Highlands, Lochs and Castles Day Tour Including Admission - 6
Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour - Tickets Included - 7
Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour - Entry Tickets included - 8
Loch Ness Cruise, Scenic Walk, Whisky & Glencoe Tour - Edinburgh - 9
Edinburgh City Bike Tour - Choice of E-Bike or Manual - 10
Edinburgh: Pubs & History Walking Tour with Beer Tasting - 11
Outlander and Castles Film Locations Day Tour from Edinburgh - 12
Edinburgh Castle & Royal Mile Walking Tour - Ticket Included - 13
Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands - 14
Glenfinnan, Glencoe and Scottish Highlands Day Tour - 15
Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket - 16
Original Harry Potter Locations Tour in Edinburgh : Guided Tour - 17
Outlander Locations Tour Including Admissions from Edinburgh - 18
Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle - Small Group Walking Tour - 19
Edinburgh Premium Food & Drink Tour with EatWalk Tours (3 hours) - 20
Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William - 21
Edinburgh Full Day Walking Tour with Castle Included -Small Group - 22
Edinburgh Food Tour with Scotch, Haggis, a Secret Dish & More - 23
The Chocolatarium Chocolate Tour Experience in Edinburgh - 24
Rosslyn Chapel and Hadrian's Wall Small Group Tour from Edinburgh - 25
Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh - 26
Edinburgh Ghost Tour: Mysteries, Legends and Murders - 27
Highland Lochs, Glens & Whisky Day Tour Including Admission - 28
Royal Mile and Old Town Walking Tour - 29
The Outlander 1 Day Experience - 30
Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh
Last refreshed 2026-05-25.
Similar climatesBath93% · Dublin92% · York91%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Edinburgh (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Edinburgh's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3–7 | 2 | 14 | 150 | 10.7 | 81% | 29 | 85 | — | Quiet | 3 |
| Feb | 3–8 | 3 | 15 | 196 | 13.1 | 77% | 31 | 105 | 1 | Quiet | 3 |
| Mar | 3–9 | 5 | 16 | 186 | 11.6 | 73% | 25 | 159 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Apr | 4–11 | 7 | 12 | 138 | 11.5 | 67% | 22 | 212 | 2 | Quiet | 5 |
| May | 8–14 | 12 | 15 | 170 | 11.3 | 70% | 21 | 237 | 3 | Quiet | 5 |
| Jun | 11–17 | 15 | 13 | 157 | 12.1 | 68% | 21 | 256 | 4 | Quiet | 6 |
| Jul | 12–18 | 17 | 17 | 199 | 11.7 | 69% | 21 | 239 | 3 | Moderate | 6 |
| Aug | 12–18 | 17 | 14 | 179 | 12.8 | 71% | 21 | 228 | 3 | Peak | 6 |
| Sep | 11–16 | 14 | 12 | 152 | 12.7 | 73% | 22 | 176 | 2 | Busy | 6 |
| Oct | 8–13 | 10 | 19 | 211 | 11.1 | 78% | 26 | 117 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Nov | 5–10 | 6 | 12 | 131 | 10.9 | 82% | 25 | 95 | — | Moderate | 4 |
| Dec | 3–7 | 3 | 16 | 184 | 11.5 | 84% | 26 | 56 | — | Quiet | 3 |
UV Index in Edinburgh by Month
UV index in Edinburgh peaks at 4 (moderate) in June, dropping to 0 (low) in January.
Best months in detail
June
6/1011–17°C (feels 15°C) · 13 rain days (157h) · 256 sun hours · 68% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
September
6/1011–16°C (feels 14°C) · 12 rain days (152h) · 176 sun hours · 73% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 3 (moderate)
August
6/1012–18°C (feels 17°C) · 14 rain days (179h) · 228 sun hours · 71% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
3/103–7°C (feels 2°C) · 14 rain days (150h) · 85 sun hours · 81% humidity · Quiet crowd
February
3/103–8°C (feels 3°C) · 15 rain days (196h) · 105 sun hours · 77% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
March
4/103–9°C (feels 5°C) · 16 rain days (186h) · 159 sun hours · 73% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
April
5/104–11°C (feels 7°C) · 12 rain days (138h) · 212 sun hours · 67% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
May
5/108–14°C (feels 12°C) · 15 rain days (170h) · 237 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 5 (moderate)
July
6/1012–18°C (feels 17°C) · 17 rain days (199h) · 239 sun hours · 69% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
October
4/108–13°C (feels 10°C) · 19 rain days (211h) · 117 sun hours · 78% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
November
4/105–10°C (feels 6°C) · 12 rain days (131h) · 95 sun hours · 82% humidity · Moderate crowd
December
3/103–7°C (feels 3°C) · 16 rain days (184h) · 56 sun hours · 84% humidity · Quiet crowd
Comparisons people search for
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Frequently asked questions about visiting Edinburgh
When is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
June is the highest-scoring month (6/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 11–17°C (13 rainy days). The top three months by score are June, September, August.
What is the worst time to visit Edinburgh?
December is the lowest-scoring month (3/10). Typical conditions: 3–7°C (16 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in Edinburgh?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in February and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in Edinburgh have good weather but fewer tourists?
June (climate 6/10, crowd index 23) and July (climate 6/10, crowd index 41) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Edinburgh by month?
UV peaks at 4 (moderate) in June and is lowest in January at 0 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan —, Feb 1, Mar 1, Apr 2, May 3, Jun 4, Jul 3, Aug 3, Sep 2, Oct 1, Nov —, Dec —.
What is the UV index in Edinburgh in June?
June is the peak UV month in Edinburgh, with a daily-peak UV index of 4 (moderate). Standard sun protection — sunglasses and light SPF — is recommended.
How high can UV get in Edinburgh on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. May is the worst case: typical days average UV 3 (moderate), but the top 10% of days reach UV 5 (moderate) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: April, May, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.