Edinburgh City Guide

When to visit Edinburgh

The climate in Edinburgh is best from May to September, but whenever you go, you're likely to see both sun and rain. In summer, daylight hours are long, and the evenings seem endless. In winter, it's cold and daylight hours are short, but with so much going on, Edinburgh is still worth visiting. Note that the city becomes impossibly crowded during the main festival period (August to early September) and Hogmanay (around 1 January), so make reservations well ahead of time if you plan to visit then.

Weather

Weather in Edinburgh

Given just how far north it lies you might expect Edinburgh's climate to be colder than it is, but the Gulf Stream (a warm Atlantic current) keeps the prevailing westerly winds pleasantly mild. May and June are generally the best bet for dry, sunny weather with average temperatures between 6-16°C (61-43°F), but you can expect rain at any time. The weather changes quickly too - a rainy morning can often be followed by a sunny afternoon. A distinctive feature of Edinburgh's weather is the 'haar' - a dense, chilly fog that often blows in from the North Sea when the wind is in the east. You can usually escape it by heading just a few miles inland.

Events in Edinburgh

They don't call Edinburgh the Festival City for nothing. The peak party time of the year is August, when the sun warms into something worthy of the name, the city explodes with arts events and the streets fill with a cosmopolitan melange of visitors high on a heady mix of culture and single malt. If you're hardy enough to brave the Scottish winter, you'll be rewarded by the fullest-bore New Year celebrations you're ever likely to see.

The highlight of Scotland's calendar is the Edinburgh International Festival, held every August. Since its inception in 1947 to mark the end of WWII, it has grown into one of the world's largest and most important arts festivals. The Fringe Festival began unofficially at the same time and grew in tandem to become the largest such event in the world. Over 500 amateur and professional groups present every possible kind of avant-garde performance in venues all around the city. Also held in the same period is the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which takes place on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. The show is an extravaganza of daredevil displays, regimental posturing and swirling bagpipes and ends with a single piper playing a lament on the battlefields. Hogmanay, the Scottish celebration of the New Year, is another major fixture in Edinburgh's festival calendar with concerts, street parties and a massive bonfire on Calton Hill. There's also the frenzy of the other international fests: Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival in July-August, Edinburgh International Book Festival and Edinburgh International Film Festival in August, and a whole lot more in between.