Rainy day · Edinburgh · United Kingdom
8 things to do in Edinburgh when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Palace of Holyroodhouse, Royal Yacht Britannia and St Giles' Cathedral. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 12–15 hours across 4 areas; 3 are free. January is usually the wettest month, with about 12 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 12–15 hours
- Areas
- Holyrood, Leith and Old Town
Edinburgh on a rainy day
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Palace · Holyrood
1.Palace of Holyroodhouse
Check dates before you go: the palace closes to visitors during royal visits, usually in early summer.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Leith
2.Royal Yacht Britannia
Take the tram to Ocean Terminal and combine the visit with lunch on the Shore.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Religious site · Old Town
3.St Giles' Cathedral
Entry is free; ask a guide to point out the bagpipe-playing angel in the Thistle Chapel.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Old Town
4.National Museum of Scotland
Start children in the hands-on science and technology galleries, then go up to the roof terrace for the castle view.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · New Town
5.Scottish National Gallery
Combine it with a walk through Princes Street Gardens; the gallery's lower level opens straight onto them.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Old Town
6.Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Time the camera obscura show for a bright day, when the projected image is sharpest.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Views
Museum · Holyrood
7.Dynamic Earth
Pair it with a walk in Holyrood Park next door to see real volcanic rock on Salisbury Crags.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · Old Town
8.The Real Mary King's Close
Check the minimum age before booking with young children; some find the dark rooms frightening.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Holyrood | Palace of Holyroodhouse and Dynamic Earth | 1.5–2 hours + 2 hours |
| Leith | Royal Yacht Britannia | 2 hours |
| Old Town | St Giles' Cathedral, National Museum of Scotland, Camera Obscura and World of Illusions and The Real Mary King's Close | 45 minutes + 2–3 hours + 1.5–2 hours + 1 hour |
| New Town | Scottish National Gallery | 1.5–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 3 free, 5 mid-priced. Book ahead for The Real Mary King's Close. The longest visit is National Museum of Scotland; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- The Real Mary King's Close: Tours have limited places and sell out in summer; book a time slot online.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Holyrood): Palace of Holyroodhouse → Dynamic Earth, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Leith and Old Town): Royal Yacht Britannia → St Giles' Cathedral, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Old Town): National Museum of Scotland → Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Old Town and New Town): The Real Mary King's Close → Scottish National Gallery, at least 3 hours.
The wettest months
- January: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold and dark by 4pm, but hotel prices fall after New Year and Burns Night suppers brighten the end of the month.
- October: highs of 13°C (55°F), about 12 rainy days, moderate crowds. Autumn colour on Arthur's Seat and in the Botanic Garden, lower prices and atmospheric misty days.
- November: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds. Dark and damp, but the Christmas markets open late in the month while hotel prices are still low.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Old Town — Medieval closes and wynds along the Royal Mile from the Castle to Holyrood
- New Town — Georgian crescents, Princes Street shopping and elegant squares
- Leith — Edinburgh's old port of waterfront restaurants, bars and the Royal Yacht Britannia
- Southside and Newington — University quarter, the Meadows and guesthouses near Arthur's Seat
More of Edinburgh
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Edinburgh?
Palace of Holyroodhouse. The monarch's official residence in Scotland stands at the foot of the Royal Mile, with state apartments still used for official events and the chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots, where her secretary David Rizzio was murdered in 1566.
+Which of these are free in Edinburgh?
St Giles' Cathedral, National Museum of Scotland and Scottish National Gallery.