Weather in Edinburgh in May
May in Edinburgh is cool outdoor weather: usable if you dress for it, not a beach brief.
In United Kingdom, this is how Edinburgh actually wears May, not how a country centroid would. Compared with July and January, May sits in the middle of Edinburgh's year.
Pack for Edinburgh in May, not for a brochure that was photographed in another season.
- Average temp
- 10°C
6–14°C
- Rainfall
- 49 mm
Not much rain
- Sunshine
- 6.3 h
hours per day
What to expect
Daytime
Cool days in Edinburgh: a jumper you can take off, a shell in the bag. Walking is fine. Lingering outside without a layer is optimism.
Mornings and evenings are colder than the postcard. Pack for both, especially if you leave the built-up centre.
Rain
May is on the drier side of the year in Edinburgh. Showers are possible. They do not define the month.
A shell that lives in the bag is enough. This is not October, and it should not be packed as if it were.
Evening
Evenings are cooler. A layer helps after sunset.
What to pack
A layer for cooler evenings
Where to stay in Edinburgh
Dates are a starting point for May.
Travel guides for Edinburgh
What to read before you book.
Average weather in Edinburgh
TemperatureRainfall
Similar weather in May
Other destinations whose May averages sit close to this one.
Check another month
This is the month you are reading. Change either side to look at another.
FAQs about Edinburgh
Climate averages for Edinburgh, 1991–2020.
The best time to visit Edinburgh is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.
July is the hottest month, with an average around 15°C.
October is the wettest month, with about 80 mm of rain.
No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.
