It’s a question we ask ourselves when travelling: what do I need to pack? Personally, I always find when travelling that weather can surprise me and I suspect this is the same for a lot of people. For a city like Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, a famously bad weather country, this question is very pressing. Nobody wants to be the guy in sandals and shorts in the rain. That’s why today, here’s a quick breakdown of how to navigate this city and what to wear when you visit Edinburgh in January 2025.
This shot makes the weather today look quite lovely but I warn you, the first thing you need to know before you come to Edinburgh is that the weather lies. This can be good, on occasion, because in certain seasons you will find wet days which are quite bearable because the heat is reasonable. In January, though, we see the opposite.
Beautiful, bright sunny days, which you weather app tells you are zero degrees Celsius (32F), when in fact the temperature listed is false for humans and animals. The temperature listed on apps and by the Met Office is the air temperature, the ‘Feels Like’ temperature is the one you want. Today we have zero degrees but in reality it feels more like -9C (about 16F).
So the answer to what to wear in Edinburgh in January 2025? Layers. Lots and lots of layers.
While I’m often a jeans and t-shirt or jeans and Hawaiian shirt sort of person in this weather I have to admit the awesome power of nature and that means adding quite a few layers. A jumper helps and if you are especially likely to be cold, a second jumper also does not got amiss. Jackets are useful on wind chill, which can be a significant factor in Edinburgh’s January weather which makes it hard to deal with for those from hotter, windless lands. Be wary of taking an overly large coat, however. These can take up a lot of luggage space, and if the coat is not made for rain or made of an overly absorbent material, you can find yourself wearing a lot of water after our rain showers.
Some swear by hats and gloves but I seldom use either. I prefer to use my pockets as hands and upper thighs working together makes both slightly warmer. The whole “you lose 10% of your heat from your head” is not a true fact and sounds like something somebody who wants to sell you a hat would say.
On the topic of legs, I would strongly encourage people to do more layers on this area. Trousers are a must but they are only one layer, and not a very thick one at that. If you go out in Edinburgh in January wearing only trousers on your legs you will be cold, this is guaranteed. A helpful addition is a thick pair of socks, hiking ones work well and though they are not sponsoring me for this a great location to pick those up in Central Edinburgh is Mountain Warehouse on the Royal Mile. It’s a little further down the street from the peak tourist drag, a few doors down from John Knox’s House / the Scottish Storytelling Centre. The will see you right your comfortable and warm, if aesthetically unimpressive socks.
Layering socks is a possibility but I’ve always found this to make walking more annoying as the sensation of multiple pairs of socks can be highly constricting on a body part which needs to move a lot. There is a solution however, tights. Tights are a highly affordable way to defend your feet, legs, and fork region from the cold. The heat is shared from the whole lower half together. The key thing for tights is the dernier, that’s the number on them, it relates to the weight of the fabric. The higher the number the more protection. If you have the ability to plan ahead, Primark is an ideal place as they stock a large range at good prices. If you are especially chilly, they occasionally have some very good fleece lined ones. If you are in a pinch, they have basic tights at many supermarkets. If you are a man and feeling fragile, do you want to be proud and cold or do you want to be secure in yourself and warm? Make sure to get a bigger size so you fit.
Other leg layers, as an alternative to tights or an additional layer, jogging bottoms work quite well and are not so thick as to make regular trousers cumbersome. One of my colleagues was wearing a layer of Harry Potter pyjamas under her joggers. Incidentally, my Harry Potter tours can be found here. So with tights, pyjama bottoms, joggers, and trousers you can have four layers on your legs instead of only one. This provides a lot more heat to one of the largest regions for heat loss on the body (think about it logically, what’s got more skin and less hair, the head or the legs?). Another option is Uniqlo on Princes Street, I’ve heard from any who would know they have excellent base layers.
Other things to consider for extra heat, scarves can be a great addition. The cheapest can be found at the chain stores on Princes Street, but if you want something really Scottish feeling, Real Scot on Royal Mile has tartan scarves like the one I’m wearing here and the oversize shawl comes from Kiltane. These are great at cutting the cold and ensure more heat. Though I’d not wear one myself, rain ponchos available from various tourist shops and many city centre convenience stores are also an option worth exploring. You’re on holiday, might as well enjoy it and look silly in photos.
Following all or some of this advice, you too can be warm in Edinburgh even during the January chill, even when the wind picks up, and even in the rain. The main thing to remember is that cold is temporary and glory is forever. Visiting Edinburgh at this time of year is very special because the chill makes it feel very real and gives you an idea of the challenges people would have faced back before we had modern heating technology. There’s very few areas in Edinburgh where you will not find a warm welcome in every pub, cafe and restaurant, and should you decide to get properly bundled up you are more than welcome to book a tour with me.
So what do you think I’ve forgotten and what do you like to wear in the cold?
The writer of this piece is warm at home with a dog nuzzling in his lap, and neither are leaving for an hour.
Leave a Reply