Edinburgh
Arthur's Seat Weather
Mountain forecast and current conditions · summit 251m
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 06:44
- Sunset
- 19:32
- Civil dawn
- 06:06
- Civil dusk
- 20:10
NOAA Solar Calculator · 15 September 2026
About the weather here
Arthur's Seat (251m) is the extinct volcano in the middle of Edinburgh, a genuine small hill inside Holyrood Park with a summit half an hour from the Royal Mile. It is the one hill on this site where the right forecast is the city forecast — but the wind at the top is nothing like the wind in the streets below, which is what catches people out.
What to expect
Edinburgh's east-coast weather is drier and colder than the west, with haar — sea fog off the Firth of Forth — the local speciality. Haar can fill the city and leave the summit in sunshine above it, or swallow the hill while Princes Street is clear. Rain is less frequent than in the west but the volcanic rock and worn paths get slick, and the east-facing slopes hold frost long after the streets have thawed.
Wind exposure
High for the height and the most underestimated thing about the hill. Salisbury Crags and the summit cone stand clear above the city with the Forth to the east, and the gap between them funnels wind hard. Gusts that are a nuisance at the palace gates are enough to knock you off balance on the summit rocks.
Winter conditions
No mountain forecast covers Arthur's Seat and no avalanche forecast applies — it is an urban hill, not a mountain. What it does have is ice: the stepped paths and bare volcanic rock freeze, the descent from the summit is steep on both common routes, and Holyrood Park sees ambulance callouts every hard frost. Microspikes are not a silly thing to carry in January.
Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Arthur's Seat; SAIS forecasts six areas only. In winter, judge snow stability on the hill from first principles.
Official forecasts
Always check an official mountain forecast before setting out. Current conditions displayed above are from the Open-Meteo API and are indicative only.
Frequently asked questions
- Which forecast should I use for Arthur's Seat?
- The Edinburgh city forecast. Mountain forecasts describe mountain areas and none of them covers Holyrood Park — pointing you at a Southern Uplands mountain forecast would be worse than useless, so this page links the city forecast and the park's own visitor page instead.
- How windy does Arthur's Seat get?
- Much windier than the streets. The summit and Salisbury Crags stand clear above the city with the Firth of Forth to the east, and the hill funnels wind through the gap between them. It is the commonest reason a casual walk up turns unpleasant.
- What is haar and does it affect the hill?
- Haar is sea fog that rolls in off the Forth, most often in spring and early summer. It can sit below the summit and leave you above a white city, or cover the hill completely with no warning. Either way it kills visibility on the steeper descents.
- Is Arthur's Seat dangerous in winter?
- It is 251m in a city, but the paths are stepped, steep in places and worn to bare rock, and they freeze. Every hard frost brings falls. Boots with grip, or microspikes, change the day completely.
Weather for other locations
Get the OutdoorSCOT weekly
One email a week — new route, hill and bothy guides, seasonal conditions and the odd hard-won lesson. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.