Edinburgh weather in December (Lothian, United Kingdom)

Looking to travel to Edinburgh in December? Check out this comprehensive weather guide.

In December, Edinburgh generally has low temperatures and moderate rainfall. December is a winter month. Daytime temperatures hover around 8°C, while nights can cool down to about 2°C.

Edinburgh in December usually receives moderate rainfall, averaging around 85 mm for the month. Rain is expected on roughly 17 days.

The city usually sees around 48 hours of sunlight, indicating fewer sunny days.

If you're looking for dry conditions and comfortable temperatures, December may not be the ideal month to visit Edinburgh. 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 December

Min Temperature 2°C  

Max Temperature 8°C  

Water Temperature 8°C *  

Chance of Rain 58%  

Precipitation 85 mm  

Rainy days 17 days  

Humidity 84% *  

Windspeed 18 km/h *  

Sunshine 48 hours *  

Percentage Sunshine 19% *  

* Data from: Edinburgh, Scotland (9 KM, 5 Miles).

Where to go in the United Kingdom in December

Find out more about the weather in the United Kingdom in December 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 December?

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 8°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 December.

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 the United Kingdom? On this website you can find historical weather averages for many cities in the United Kingdom. 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.