Best time to visit Edinburgh

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Edinburgh

Best time of year to visit Edinburgh

Summer months perfectly align with the best time to visit Edinburgh. They are the warmest, but they are also the busiest. Side by side in August, Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe offer you the best exhibitions and shows. Be ready to meet the Burry Man on the streets of Queensbury, just offer him a drink and you'll be blessed. The low season roughly between October and March also has something to impress you with: fewer tourists and lower prices. And January will introduce you to a magic poetry by Robert Burns and his favourite Haggis and whisky.

13 THINGS TO DO IN EDINBURGH (AUGUST 01 - AUGUST 10)

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

August 2-24, 2024 • event

A memorable representation of dance, military pageantry and music as part of the Edinburgh Festival

Heather

Heather

July–September/October (best in August) • nature

Purple heather blooms on ornate open Scottish fields, heathlands, wetlands, and forests

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

August 2-26, 2024 • event

A unique blend of thousands of known and less-known artists performing a wide variety of shows in smaller venues around the city

Edinburgh International Festival

Edinburgh International Festival

August 2-25, 2024 • event

The Festival is a showcase of world's best music, dance, theatre, and opera in Edinburgh every August

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

all year round • activity

A stunning historic fortress is an unmissable attraction on your visit to the Scottish capital

Horse Flat Racing Season

Horse Flat Racing Season

April–September  • activity

Musselburgh Racecourse provides year round great racing action with 27 racedays

Langoustines, Crabs and Lobsters

Langoustines, Crabs and Lobsters

April–November  • food

The search for the tastiest langoustines, crabs and lobsters will take you to the most beautiful scenery of Scotland

Scotch Pie and Bovril

Scotch Pie and Bovril

August–April  • food

A football match cannot do without a piece of warm nourishing mutton pie and a glass of hot beef-flavoured Bovril

Haggis

Haggis

July–January | January 25 • food

Sheep's insides are sewn into its stomach, boiled, and served with "tatties and neeps" and a glass of Scotch Whisley for Burns Supper

Crab Apple Jelly

Crab Apple Jelly

April–October  • food

Crab apple jelley with peanut butter makes for a delicious sweet-sour sandwich

Scotland Berries Season

Scotland Berries Season

July–August  • food

Eat freshly picked berries at local farms in Scotland during the berries season

Lemon Sole

Lemon Sole

June–September • food

The fillet dish tastes best with a Mediterranean sauce

Golf Season

Golf Season

April–October  • activity

The golf season welcomes every passionate golfer to practice their swing or to enjoy the wide range of tournaments

29 THINGS TO DO OUT OF SELECTED DATE RANGE

Beltane Fire Festival

Beltane Fire Festival

out of rangeApril 30 • event

Celebrate the arrival of summer in Scotland with music, bonfires, and uninhibited behaviour

Edinburgh Christmas Market & Winter Festival

Edinburgh Christmas Market & Winter Festival

out of rangeNovember 17, 2023–January 6, 2024 • event

A winter wonderland in the heart of a fairytale city

Edinburgh Festival Carnival

Edinburgh Festival Carnival

out of rangeJuly 14, 2024 • event

A free flamboyant music and dance event

Hogmanay (New Year's Eve)

Hogmanay (New Year's Eve)

out of rangeDecember 29, 2023–January 1, 2024 • event

Hogmanay is a unique way to celebrate the New Year with torchlights, bonfires, fireworks, and loads of music

Braemar Gathering

Braemar Gathering

out of rangeSeptember 7, 2024 • event

The Gathering is famous for its hospitality, friendship, multitude of events and the presence of the Royal Family, and it's only a 2-hour drive from Edinburgh

The Burry Man

The Burry Man

out of rangeAugust 11, 2023 • event

Follow the Burry Man throughout the streets of Queensferry as he drinks whisky and spreads good luck

Christmas Lights

Christmas Lights

out of rangemid-November–early January • event

Edinburgh celebrates the most wonderful time of the year

Burntisland Highland Games

Burntisland Highland Games

out of rangeJuly 15, 2024 • event

Burntisland Highland Games the second oldest games in Scotland, and are a perfect opportunity to have some quality time

The Loony Dook

The Loony Dook

out of rangeJanuary 1 • event

Would you plunge into the icy waters in the middle of winter?

Rugby in Edinburgh: Six Nations Cup

Rugby in Edinburgh: Six Nations Cup

out of rangeFebruary 2-March 16, 2024 • event

Scots love for rugby cannot be exaggerated. Visit the game of one of the oldest championships to witness it all!

Burns Night Celebrations

Burns Night Celebrations

out of rangeJanuary 25 • event

Scotsmen respect their national poet and commemorate his legacy by cooking his favorite meal on his birthday

Seasonal Meats

Seasonal Meats

out of rangeSeptember–November  • food

Discover the freshest meats and vegetables locally produced and indulge your sweet tooth with the best seasonal fruits

North Berwick International Highland Games

North Berwick International Highland Games

out of rangeAugust 10, 2024 • event

Dancers, world-pipe bands and other stunning events make North Berwick Highland Games the perfect place for a day full of fun

Ceres Highland Games

Ceres Highland Games

out of rangeJune 29, 2024 • event

Ceres Highland Games are the oldest and most cheerful events celebrated in Scotland

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year

out of rangeFebruary 8–13, 2024 • event

The largest Lunar New Year celebration in Scotland

Oysters

Oysters

out of rangeSeptember–mid-April • food

Once the very Roman emperor deemed Scottish oysters as the best shellfish in the world

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

out of rangeJuly 12-21, 2024 • event

10 days of excellent music with over 170 performances

Stirling Highland Games

Stirling Highland Games

out of rangeAugust 17, 2024 • event

Multiple fun events combined with stalls full of local products are the main attractions at Stirling Highland Games

Comic Con Scotland

Comic Con Scotland

out of rangeOctober 5-6, 2024 • event

One of the largest cosplay events in the UK

Halloween

Halloween

out of rangelate October  • event

Celebrate the transition from summer to winter in a traditional Celtic way

Boxing Day

Boxing Day

out of rangeDecember 26 • event

The occasion has nothing to do with fists and punching, but rather boxes full of gifts

Snowdrops Bloom Time

Snowdrops Bloom Time

out of rangeFebruary–mid-March  • nature

Winter is a perfect season to wander through Scotland’s woodlands and gardens to admire the blossoming snowdrops

Edinburgh Marathon

Edinburgh Marathon

out of rangeMay 26, 2024 • event

Fast and flat, this race can easily become one of your favorites

Cowgate St. Patrick’s Day

Cowgate St. Patrick’s Day

out of rangeMarch 17, 2024 • event

Celebrate Celtic heritage and culture

Swans

Swans

out of rangeOctober–March  • nature

During winter Scotland hosts these elegant guests from Iceland and Siberia

Apple Season​

Apple Season​

out of rangeSeptember–October • food

Traditional​ apple scones, pies and scrumbles are the highlights of this delicious season

Haddock

Haddock

out of rangeSeptember • food

Cold-smoked, hot-smoked, dried, canned, frozen, served with chips, drowned in milk, or in a Scottish soup—so many ways to eat Haddock

Rhubarb

Rhubarb

out of rangeJanuary–June  • food

Sour rhubarb is made into crumble cakes and meat sauces, but the best way to enjoy the fruit is to simply dip it in sugar and eat it raw

Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF)

Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF)

out of rangeAugust 18–23, 2023 • event

Every June, the city enjoys a fortnight of cinema screenings and related events. EIFF is recognised as the world's longest continually-running film festival

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