January in Edinburgh Castle — the hardest end of the year
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 about 0 sunny days 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.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Edinburgh Castle — 4.4 points higher on the same scale.
February in Edinburgh Castle — the hardest end of the year
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 about 0 sunny days 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.
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 — 4.2 points higher on the same scale.
March in Edinburgh Castle — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 4.8/10March averages 5°C (42°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 74 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 1 sunny days and 11.4 hours of daylight.
It scores 4.8/10 here, 7th of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-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 — workable with trade-offs
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 sunny days 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.
Expect 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.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Edinburgh Castle — 2.8 points higher on the same scale.
May in Edinburgh Castle — reliably good (4th best month)
Good · 7.3/10May averages 11°C (53°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 71 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 16 sunny days and 16 hours of daylight.
It scores 7.3/10 here, 4th of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect 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 in Edinburgh Castle — the year's strongest window
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 sunny days 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.
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.
July in Edinburgh Castle — reliably good (3rd best month)
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 sunny days 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.
Expect 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.
August in Edinburgh Castle — reliably good (2nd best month)
Good · 7.9/10August averages 15°C (59°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 64 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 12 sunny days and 14.8 hours of daylight.
It scores 7.9/10 here, 2nd of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect 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 · 6.6/10September averages 13°C (55°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 74 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 4 sunny days and 12.4 hours of daylight.
It scores 6.6/10 here, 5th of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
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: about 0 sunny days 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.
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 proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in Edinburgh Castle — 3.9 points higher on the same scale.
November in Edinburgh Castle — the hardest end of the year
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 about 0 sunny days 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.
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 — 4.6 points higher on the same scale.
December in Edinburgh Castle — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 3.4/10December averages 5°C (40°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 99 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 0 sunny days and 6.7 hours of daylight.
It scores 3.4/10 here, 12th of 12 months, against 8.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-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.
