January in Edinburgh Castle — off-season conditions
Hardest · 4.3/10January averages 4°C (39°F), cold enough that sightseeing works in bursts rather than in one long day on foot.
Rainfall runs 54 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 7.3 hours of daylight.
It scores 4.3/10 here, 10th of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? June scores 4.4 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
February in Edinburgh Castle: expect compromises
Hardest · 4.5/10February averages 5°C (41°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 70 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 9.2 hours of daylight.
It scores 4.5/10 here, 9th of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? June scores 4.2 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
March in Edinburgh Castle — off-season conditions
Hardest · 4.8/10Expect 5°C (42°F) in March. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Budget for roughly 74 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 1 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 11.4 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 4.8/10 on the same scale — 7th of 12 months, versus 8.7/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Edinburgh Castle — 3.9 points higher on the same scale.
April in Edinburgh Castle: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.9/10April averages 7°C (45°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 78 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 9 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 13.9 hours of daylight.
It scores 5.9/10 here, 6th of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? June scores 2.8 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
May holds up well in Edinburgh Castle — 4th best month
Good · 7.3/10Expect 11°C (53°F) in May. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Budget for roughly 71 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 16 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 16 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 7.3/10 on the same scale — 4th of 12 months, versus 8.7/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
June: the best month of the year in Edinburgh Castle
Best window · 8.7/10June averages 13°C (56°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 49 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 22 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 17.3 hours of daylight.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Edinburgh Castle at 8.7/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Plan for peak pricing, with crowds are moderate. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
July in Edinburgh Castle: strong conditions, 3rd of 12
Good · 7.7/10July averages 15°C (58°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 80 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 16 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 16.8 hours of daylight.
It scores 7.7/10 here, 3rd of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on peak pricing, with this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
August in Edinburgh Castle: strong conditions, 2nd of 12
Good · 7.9/10Temperatures hover around 15°C (59°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
Budget for roughly 64 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 12 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 14.8 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 7.9/10 on the same scale — 2nd of 12 months, versus 8.7/10 for the best month here.
Budget for peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
September in Edinburgh Castle — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.6/10Temperatures hover around 13°C (55°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
Budget for roughly 74 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 4 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 12.4 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 6.6/10 on the same scale — 5th of 12 months, versus 8.7/10 for the best month here.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Edinburgh Castle — 2.1 points higher on the same scale.
October in Edinburgh Castle — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 4.8/10October averages 10°C (50°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
At 106 mm this is a genuinely wet month: almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 4.8/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
Flexible dates? June scores 3.9 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
November in Edinburgh Castle — off-season conditions
Hardest · 4.1/10November averages 7°C (44°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 88 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 7.9 hours of daylight.
It scores 4.1/10 here, 11th of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? June scores 4.6 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
December in Edinburgh Castle: expect compromises
Hardest · 3.4/10Expect 5°C (40°F) in December. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Budget for roughly 99 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 6.7 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 3.4/10 on the same scale — 12th of 12 months, versus 8.7/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Edinburgh Castle — 5.3 points higher on the same scale.
