EdinburghPhoto: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0United Kingdom · Europe
Best time to visit Edinburgh
Edinburgh is cool, windy and changeable year-round. Rain and wind are part of the charm. Edinburgh: the driest month in the dataset is February, with around 10 typical rainy days.
Climate decision
Best travel months for Edinburgh
Top recommendation
Next highest scores
Historical monthly averages, not a weather forecast. Individual days and years can differ substantially.
Latest 5-year values 2021–2025
Average of the five most recent complete years compared with the 1991–2025 climate average.
June · Wet days
12 days/month
1991–2025: 15.5 days/month
-3.5 days/month · lower
May · Mean daily maximum
14.3 °C
1991–2025: 13.1 °C
+1.2 °C · higher
June · Monthly precipitation
47.6 mm/month
1991–2025: 72.7 mm/month
-25.2 mm/month · lower
August · Sea temperature
14.7 °C
1991–2025: 14.4 °C
+0.3 °C · similar
July: 1/155 days at or above 30 °C; highest single value 30.1 °C.
Five-year historical sample, not a weather forecast or long-term climate trend. Individual hot days can be far above the monthly mean.
Annual profile · Coast and sea
Edinburgh: the swimming season follows two curves
Average daily highs vary by 12.5 °C through the year, while the sea varies by 8.4 °C. Air and water temperature should therefore be considered separately.
The practical difference
The month with the highest daytime temperature and the month with the warmest sea need not define the same travel window. Rain and sunshine help resolve the trade-off.
Warmest sea
August · 14.4 °C
Highest average daily high
July and August · 17.7 °C
Fewest rainy days
April · 12.8
Most sunshine
June · 5.9 h
Month by month
Overall suitability per month. Tap a month for details.
All climate figures compared
The table is the complete accessible data view; the charts below highlight selected patterns.
| Month | Avg high °C | Avg low °C | Rainy days (est.) | Rain mm | Sun h/day (est.) | Humidity % | Wind m/s | Sea °C | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5 | 2 | 16 | 71 | 0.6 | 94 | 5.0 | 7 | 14 |
| February | 6 | 2 | 13 | 61 | 1.4 | 92 | 5.0 | 6 | 20 |
| March | 8 | 2 | 15 | 60 | 2.6 | 89 | 4.5 | 6 | 21 |
| April | 10 | 4 | 13 | 58 | 4.3 | 86 | 3.8 | 7 | 29 |
| May | 13 | 6 | 14 | 61 | 5.8 | 83 | 3.5 | 10 | 34 |
| June | 16 | 9 | 15 | 73 | 5.9 | 83 | 3.3 | 12 | 39 |
| July | 18 | 11 | 17 | 82 | 5.6 | 83 | 3.1 | 14 | 42 |
| August | 18 | 11 | 16 | 83 | 4.6 | 84 | 3.3 | 14 | 43 |
| September | 15 | 9 | 14 | 68 | 3.2 | 87 | 3.7 | 13 | 37 |
| October | 12 | 7 | 16 | 92 | 1.7 | 90 | 4.2 | 12 | 22 |
| November | 8 | 4 | 17 | 80 | 0.8 | 93 | 4.3 | 10 | 15 |
| December | 6 | 2 | 16 | 78 | 0.4 | 94 | 4.5 | 8 | 14 |
Climate through the year
Compare temperature, rainy days, sunshine and, for coastal destinations, sea temperature month by month.
Find a place to stay
Where to stay in Edinburgh
Compare available stays, prices and cancellation terms for Edinburgh on Booking.com.
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Similar destinations
The number is the overall climate score, not a similarity score.
Country and region
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
The best time depends on the trip type; the cards above show each monthly decision.
Which month has the highest average daily maximum temperature in Edinburgh?
Average daily maximum temperatures in Edinburgh are practically tied in July and August at around 18 °C.
When is the sea warmest at Edinburgh?
In August, at around 14 °C.