I am unable to go to UK this summer (remember my Military Tattoo questions). If things go as planned I will be in UK at Xmas time but still want to spend a couple of days in Edinburgh. What is it like at Xmas time? I would like to go for couple of days mid December or early Jan after New Year.. I am imagining it snows all the time and nobody out. But then again I have lived in the desert for 22 years so waht do I know. It is just something I am contemplating - just to visit - nowt' else..

I lived in Edinburgh for 3 years, so have a few memories of the winters. To me they wern't too bad - don't remember a lot of snow, but there always seems to be a very chilly wind that blows across the city!
Wrap up warm and enjoy! I also remember thinking that they had quite a lot of nice bright sunny days too!
People are always out and about doing all the normall stuff - great atmosphere and spirit in Edinburgh
Shame you couldn;'t have done the tatoo- thats fab!

There is a restaraunt just near the castle entrance called "the Witchery" it isn,t cheap but you gotta do it had the best beef fillet ever in there

Neil

PS take a very warm coat It will be cold in Jan

Ditto to the comments that there will likely be bone-chilling winds that time of year so wrap up!

If there's snow that time of year, and you can get transport, you might want to head up to Stirling Castle, which I think is more do-able (smaller) but just as interesting as Edinburgh Castle, but also go up the Wallace Monument for a great view in winter (assuming it's not raining of course!).

Oh, I love Stirling and the surrounding countryside. My sister did her undergrad degree at Stirling Univ. My (American) son-in-law wants to visit there - he's watched the movie "Braveheart" a million times!!

Edinburgh in the winter? Well, my grandparents are always saying that winters are not anything like as bad as they used to be when they were young, but last winter here in Edinburgh, 2009/2010, as in the rest of the UK, was very long and very cold, at times cold enough to freeze all extremities if not well covered up, and it seemed to go on and on and on and on....and dollops of snow to go with it. I can tell you that when the wind is in the north or the north east in January and gusting, then the corner of Princes Street and Leith Street is definitely not the place to be unless you are well insulated. A combination of high humidity (damp cold) and a sub freezing temperature is particularly unpleasant in a stiff wind, and in Edinburgh eastery or north easterly stiff winter winds come straight off the chilly, grey northern North Sea and for much of last winter those same winds originated in the Arctic regions.

Last winter was the coldest for 31 years in Britain, and for the past three years now it seems as if the average UK winter temperatures have taken a wee bit of a dip by a degree or two, but of course that does not mean that this coming winter will also be cold. This is the UK after all and when it comes to weather and climate absolutely nothing is guaranteed, one way or the other. What you see on any given day is what you get here. Perhaps next January people may be strolling along Princes Street without coats, but on the other hand..........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDQgjiwIB94&feature=fvst

Winter in Edinburgh is fantastic, I'm actually going home (small town just outside Edinburgh) for 5 weeks over Dec and Jan and I cannot wait.

There is fantastic christmas decorations and lights everywhere, there is usually a skating rink on Princes St gardens and in December they have the x-mas market set up on Princes Street, it's lovely to walk around at night and gets you right in the x-mas spirit.

Forget about the cold, wrap up, have some warm food and hot gluwine from the x-mas market and you'll be alright.

Have a great time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Wxq...eature=related

well after 22 years of sun shining on xmas day i will actually like to see snow again if it happens. I looked at videos and they are more darned exciting than spending xmas day by yourself..