Edinburgh weather in January (Scotland)

What should you pack for a trip to Edinburgh in January? Check out our in-depth weather guide for this month.

Temperatures

The typical weather for January in Edinburgh includes low temperatures and moderate rainfall. Winter occurs in January. In the daytime, temperatures tend to hover near 8°C, cooling down at night to around 2°C. With temperatures often at their lowest, this month is coldest of the year. Ideal for indoor activities, be sure to pack warm clothing.

Precipitation

Edinburgh in January usually receives moderate rainfall, averaging around 87 mm for the month. You can typically expect 19 days days of rain this month, based on climate records.

Average sunshine

The month has fewer sunny days, with around 54 hours hours of sunshine, suitable for those who prefer less sun.

If you're looking for dry conditions and comfortable temperatures, January may not be the ideal month to visit Edinburgh. June, July and August generally stand out with the best circumstances. While January, February, March, November and December tend to showcase less optimal conditions.

For an in-depth look at the yearly conditions, visit our specialized Edinburgh climate page with graphs.

 

Edinburgh, monthly averages in January

Min Temperature 2°C  

Max Temperature 8°C  

Water Temperature 6°C  

Chance of Rain 62%  

Precipitation 87 mm  

Rainy days 19 days  

Humidity 84%  

Windspeed 18 km/h  

Sunshine 54 hours  

Percentage Sunshine 22%  

Where to go in Scotland in January

Find out more about the weather in Scotland and which places have the best travel conditions in this month.

Weather conditions Weather

Temperatures

Precipitation

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Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor

Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

So, what should you wear in this month?

Wear a base layer in cold weather; this is the #1 thing you can do to increase your overall body temperature. With a water temperature of around 6°C there is no need to bring your swimwear.

What To Do

We rated the following activities from 1 (least suitable) to 10 (best) to do.

Swimming

4/10

Cycling

4/10

Walking

4/10

Camping

4/10

Outdoor sports

4/10

Interested in more climate information?

This site provides you with all the information you need about the climate in Edinburgh.

Our site offers climate and forecast data for every country in the world. Are you going to Scotland? On this website you can find historical weather averages for many cities in Scotland. Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.