Edinburgh · Scotland
December
Hogmanay makes Edinburgh's New Year one of the great celebrations on earth — and the Christmas market on Princes Street is the finest in the UK.
Strong option
#12 of 12 months
There are better months for Edinburgh — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
7°C
Low
2°C
Rain
57mm
Sun
1.8hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Edinburgh
Weather
Below average
Value
Average
Crowds
Average
Events
Outstanding
Atmosphere
Outstanding
What you gain in December
- ↑Hogmanay (December 31 into January 1) is world-famous and entirely justified: the street party down the Royal Mile and into Princes Street holds 80,000 people, the torchlight procession on the 30th winds through the Old Town, and the midnight fireworks from Edinburgh Castle are among the most spectacular New Year celebrations anywhere — an event worth building a trip entirely around
- ↑Edinburgh Christmas market (November through December) on Princes Street and in the Mound below the castle is the finest Christmas market in Britain: wooden chalets, proper Scottish produce, mulled wine, and the castle floodlit above it all in the winter dark
- ↑The city's festive atmosphere transforms the cold into something cosy rather than merely grey; the warm interiors of the pubs, the December atmosphere in the Old Town, and the Hogmanay build-up give Edinburgh a December energy that rivals its August
What you sacrifice
- ↓Hogmanay requires planning 3–6 months in advance: tickets for the street party, accommodation for December 30–31, and restaurant bookings for New Year's Eve are all in fierce competition across the world market
- ↓Peak-adjacent prices throughout December: hotels reflect the Hogmanay demand well before New Year itself, and Christmas week is the most expensive December period outside of the New Year nights
- ↓Cold and dark throughout: 7°C, under 2 sunshine hours daily, and Edinburgh's Atlantic wind make outdoor exploration genuinely testing; Hogmanay night itself is reliably cold and requires serious layering
How December compares to May (best month)
| Factor | December | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 3 | 7 |
| Value | 4 | 7 |
| Crowds | 4 | 7 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Edinburgh, not across destinations. Methodology →