Edinburgh Temperature by Month
The average annual maximum temperature in Edinburgh, Highland, Scotland is 13°C (55°F), with daytime highs ranging from 8°C (46°F) in December to 19°C (66°F) in July. This page covers monthly averages, day-night differences, and how Edinburgh compares to cities worldwide.
Edinburgh Monthly Temperatures
Visitors to Edinburgh will encounter a climate influenced by big temperature differences across the year. Nighttime temperatures range from 12°C (54°F) in July to 2°C (36°F) in December.
The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in Edinburgh by month:
Daily lows are most common between 4 AM and 6 AM. By 3 PM temperatures reach their daily high, driven by peak solar heating. July, the warmest month of the year, receives 160 hours of sunshine.
The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:
Daily Historical Temperatures
50-year average (1976-2025)
Average high and low temperatures for each day of the month based on long-term records.
Average temperatures in June
Historical Edinburgh Temperatures: 1976-2026
Browse day-by-day temperature records for Edinburgh spanning 51 years. Select any month and year to see actual high and low temperatures recorded on each day.
Temperature: Edinburgh vs Scotland
The map below shows the annual temperature across Scotland. You can also select individual months if you want to compare a specific time of year.
very warm
warm
pleasant
moderate
cold
very cold
Edinburgh vs World: Temperature Compared
Edinburgh's average annual maximum temperature is 13°C (55°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:
Athens, Greece sits at 23°C (73°F) on average, with hot dry summers and mild winters characteristic of the Mediterranean.
Zermatt, Switzerland averages just 4°C (39°F) annually due to its altitude, with very cold winters and cool summers even at its warmest.
San Francisco, USA averages 19°C (66°F) annually, but with little seasonal variation — summers are often cool and foggy, winters mild.
Perth, Australia averages 25°C (77°F) annually, with a classic Mediterranean climate — hot dry summers and mild wet winters.
What Does the Temperature Feel Like in Edinburgh?
Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story — humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.
In the cooler months, when temperatures drop below 10°C, high humidity makes the cold feel more cutting than it would in dry conditions.
In Edinburgh, December is the coolest month, with average highs of 8°C (46°F) and humidity around 84% — considered very high. For a full picture, see our humidity page.
Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.
The readings come from a range of sources — land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.
For cities and regions with significant elevation, altitude is one of the biggest factors shaping local temperatures. As a rule of thumb, temperatures fall by around 6°C for every 1,000 metres gained — so a city at 2,000 metres will typically be around 12°C cooler than a city at sea level in the same region. Higher ground also tends to see more dramatic day-to-night temperature swings, since thinner air loses heat faster after sunset.
For more on Edinburgh's weather — including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity — visit our Edinburgh climate page.
