Choosing what to wear in Edinburgh on a month by month basis is clearly a failure as a topic as the weather is simply too changeable for it to make sense most of the time. But this month it makes a ton of sense to talk about the change. The Festival Fringe ended on the 25th and it felt like the weather dropped a good couple of degrees. The wind rose and the leaves began to change almost the second they began packing away the posters.
I can only conclude that posters have a positive impact on temperature.
What sort of clothes does one need to wear in Edinburgh this September? Where do you get it if you’ve packed badly? Furthermore, is it good walking tour weather?
Welcome to the first month of Hairst. Let’s explore together.
Forecast
Here is the Met Office’s forecast for now, and from this you can tell that the days are about ideal. There’s low heat, but it is not cold. There is some wind but it is possible to wear a hat. I’d describe it as cape weather. It’s the sort of weather where a woman in a dress wears one layer of tights instead of three. It’s the sort of weather you’d need to try very hard to get hurt. This therefore makes it an easy month to say what to wear in Edinburgh.
The light rains predicted are also quite good because we’ve had some drier than average weather and the grass could use some water.
What to wear in Edinburgh in September
As is tradition, we shall go from top to bottom and then I’ll include a few ideas for where to shop for these items.
Head
We’re getting to the point of year where hats start to make a bit of sense if you are someone who feels the cold. It’s good to be aware of the winds however so a cap might work.
But a beanie is probably better.
They aren’t completely necessary, though. The Big Hat for years has been telling us about heat loss from the head but it seems exaggerated.
Upper Body
This is the part of the body which can really pile up layers. T-shirts, light jumpers, heavier jumpers, jackets, coats, the range is really something. Personally, I barely feel cold so I’ll be rocking a t-shirt and cape combo which has come to be my style.
Still, if a pathologically not-cold individual like myself needs to wear an extra layer, that’s a good reminder to wear a couple layers here.
Lower Body
It’s the weather for trousers, for sure. The days of wearing shorts are done for the year. For women it is the weather for at least one layer of tights. I’m something an advocate for tights as a gender neutral piece of gear since the goal is to avoid the cold. If you’re a man buying them, definitely go bigger than you think.
For shoes, basically don’t do sandals and you’ll be fine. I haven’t noticed a huge difference between mountain boots or trainers in terms of heat. Foot heat is all down to socks anyway.
Ideas for shops
I will cover cheaper and more expensive, and it’s all going to be city centre because that seems most useful.
Cheaper
Primark and supermarkets are your best bet for cheap. Sadly the city centre supermarkets don’t have much in the way of clothes but they do have tights if that’s what you need to stay decently warm. Primark is a one-stop shop for all sorts.
More durable
Mountain Warehouse, conveniently on the Royal Mile just a door or two from the Scottish Storytelling Centre, is a pretty good shout for stout boots for hiking. These are pretty good for outerwear in general though I do wish they had bolder colours.
The best sock shop in the city, probably
Soctopus are on the Royal Mile as well and have many delightful patterns. They have a sock deal which is currently 3 pairs for £20 (I keep telling them it should be 4 because octopus have 8 tentacles).
Conclusion
September is one of the best months in Edinburgh for weather as we have that late Summer low sun mixed with the early Autumn inclemency. It can be temperamental with wind and rain, but it’s fundamentally got what I’d term the best weather days in the country. Cool, dry, and sunny. 12C (53F) on average is probably peak conditions. It requires some clothes but not too much. You’ll be fine if you just remember to wear a jumper and bring a jacket just in case.
And if you’re in the mood for walking tours, here’s a helpful booking calendar!
The writer of this piece wrote this article very late in the month, but it’s going to stay on the website forever with periodic revising so it’ll be fine.
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