Edinburgh weather in January (Scotland)

Planning a trip to Edinburgh in January? Here's what the weather might have in store during this month.

In January, Edinburgh generally has low temperatures and moderate rainfall. January is a winter month. Daytime temperatures hover around 8°C, while nights can cool down to about 2°C. It's often the coldest month of the year, a perfect time to cozy up indoors. Make sure to bring along suitable winter clothing.

Edinburgh in January usually receives moderate rainfall, averaging around 87 mm for the month. Rain is expected on roughly 19 days.

The area sees fewer sunny days, with a projection of about 54 hours of sunshine. This reduced sunlight makes it ideal for those who prefer cooler, overcast conditions over bright sunny days.

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 in January and which places have the best weather 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 Edinburgh in January?

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 in January.

Swimming

4/10

Cycling

4/10

Walking

4/10

Camping

4/10

Outdoor sports

4/10

Interested in more climate information?

Weather and Climate 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 climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.