Edinburgh · Month comparison

March vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs March at #6. Edinburgh's most pleasant surprise — genuinely mild, long days, and the city at its most liveable before the Fringe transforms it.

Edinburgh March — city buildings and trees in the tentative early light of a spring afternoon

March

#6 of 12 months

Best match

Spring light begins to return — longer days, occasional warmth, and the city still largely to yourself.

  • ↑Sunshine hours climb meaningfully to 3.8 daily and temperatures edge toward 9°C — the first days that reward a walk up Arthur's Seat or a full circuit of the Royal Mile without misery
  • ↑Six Nations concludes in March; if Scotland have a home final round, the city's atmosphere is extraordinary regardless of the result
Edinburgh May — the city viewed from an elevated position with Edinburgh Castle visible in spring light

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Edinburgh's most pleasant surprise — genuinely mild, long days, and the city at its most liveable before the Fringe transforms it.

  • ↑The best weather-to-crowd ratio in Edinburgh's year: 15°C, 6.5 sunshine hours daily, and the city still at low season crowd levels — Arthur's Seat, the Royal Mile, and the Water of Leith walkway all enjoyed in relative peace
  • ↑The Royal Botanic Garden in May is at its peak — rhododendrons, flowering trees, and immaculate lawns that the cold winter months make impossible to appreciate; free to enter
FactorMarchMay
Weather score
4
7
Value score
9
7
Crowd score
9
7
Events score
4
5
Atmosphere
5
7
Avg high temp9°C15°C
Monthly rain47mm52mm
Daily sunshine3.8hrs6.5hrs

March trade-offs

  • ↓Weather remains unpredictable and cold — Edinburgh's spring is reluctant; a warm March day can be followed by sleet and a 40mph wind off the Firth
  • ↓Easter (if it falls in late March) brings short but significant price spikes for the holiday weekend; check dates when planning
  • ↓The city's outdoor culture — the café terraces, the Meadows park scene, the Leith waterfront — is still mostly dormant; Edinburgh doesn't fully wake up until May

May trade-offs

  • ↓Prices begin climbing from the spring floor; May is affordable but noticeably more expensive than January–March
  • ↓The weather, while improved, remains distinctly Scottish — cold snaps and grey weeks can arrive at any point through May; pack for variable conditions
  • ↓No headline events: May is the city between its main festival peaks; excellent for the city itself but not an event-driven visit
See all 12 months for Edinburgh →March in detail →May in detail →
Scores compare months within Edinburgh. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →