Welcome to Scotland – where it rains. A lot. Although despite our reputation, and depending on where you are in the country, it’s perhaps not quite as much as you think, and Edinburgh is one of those places. (Don’t talk to me about Fort William.)
Case in point – I walk half an hour to work, and I go to Princes Street to get a bus if it’s raining. I can’t remember the last time I went to Princes Street before work, but it probably averages every 3 months. That’s not to say that outwith the half hour it won’t rain at all that day, but you get my point. It’s not the perpetual rain that people imagine when they think of Scotland.
Even so, relatively often, visitors find themselves hiding from the rain, even just for a few minutes. Luckily, I have quite a few ideas for things you should do on a rainy day in Edinburgh! It doesn’t matter what the weather’s like; you’d be hard pushed to be bored in the lively Scottish capital.
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Visit a museum
There are lots of great museums in Edinburgh, but the one I would always recommend first is the National Museum of Scotland. We have spent hours in here, across different days, and it took about five visits to see everything. Highlights to check out are the science room, with planes, technological inventions from Scotland, Dolly the world’s first (and only) cloned sheep, and lots of interactive activities; and the Scotland history sections where you can see artifacts like the Lewis chessmen and letters by Robert Burns.
If you want something smaller just to escape a shower, then there are plenty of museums where you can while away an hour or less:
- Museum of Edinburgh is a good little museum about the history of the city, including fun facts about why it’s called Auld Reekie
- Museum of Childhood is both interesting and depressing – a fun nostalgia trip until you see your first smartphone in a display. It takes a terrifying turn when you enter a room full of dolls. Nightmare fuel, but a great wee museum
- Writers’ Museum explores the legacy of Scottish writers including Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
- Museum on the Mound is a museum all about money and the history of our currency. Where else can you see £1 million in pound notes?
Best of all, these museums are completely FREE!
There are a few other paid attractions, like Gladstone’s Land, a historic house on the Royal Mile, and also a tenement house on Charlotte Square. I haven’t been into either of these, but they provide an interesting insight into how life used to be in Edinburgh, along with the people who lived in them.
If you’re with kids, Dynamic Earth is also a great option on a rainy day.
Visit an art gallery
There are a handful of large art galleries in Edinburgh where you can easily spend several hours. I have to admit I normally don’t like art galleries but thanks to rainy days in Edinburgh, I’ve popped into two of the major galleries with friends and I’ve been really impressed. The best thing is they’re all free!
The National Gallery of Scotland has several floors of excellent art, with the highlight for me being the iconic Monarch Of The Glen. It’s right on Princes Street, next to the gardens, so very accessible.
Next door, the Royal Scottish Academy also has a landmark location right on Princes Street (see picture above). For some reason I haven’t been in here yet; they seem to have a lot of paid exhibitions, but as far as I know general entry is also free.
The National Portrait Gallery is my favourite, as the portraits are just astonishing – in size and quality. However I also love the building it’s in, and particularly the central hall which is just beautiful and easily as impressive as the art. It’s worth going in just to see this!
The other large art gallery in Edinburgh is quite a walk from the city centre, so I haven’t made it there yet. It’s also run by the National Gallery of Scotland, but focuses on modern art.
Alternatively, the City Art Centre is a smaller exhibition right in the centre of town, and we found some really interesting art here from local artists.
Read more: How To Spend The Perfect Sunday In Edinburgh
Visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse
The Royal Mile is bookended by two major attractions: Edinburgh Castle at the top, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom. Not only would I probably recommend the palace over the castle anyway, but the castle has a lot of outdoor space and can even be closed in bad weather. Therefore the palace is the better option on a rainy day!
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is where royalty comes to stay when they visit Edinburgh. That means it can be closed when the King is in residence, so be sure to check. As it’s the official residence, a tour means you can see the rooms as they are used now, rather than a lot of historic houses or palaces where they have been preserved for days gone by.
Pop into St Giles Cathedral
Edinburgh has several cathedrals, including one right on the Royal Mile. St Giles Cathedral is really impressive from the outside, and makes for some lovely photos, but it’s worth popping in as well. See if you can find the angels with bagpipes.
It’s free entry, but you do have to make a donation to take photos.
Take silly photos at Camera Obscura
Being right next to Edinburgh Castle, it’s easy to write this off as a silly tourist attraction. And, yes it is, but it’s also very fun! I’ve been here a couple of times now with different friends and there are some great photo ops.
Plus you can go up to the top for some great views, as well as for the camera obscura itself.
People-watch in a coffee shop
Coffee has never been better in Edinburgh. Lots of independents have been popping up with quality coffee, and where it used to be difficult to find somewhere just to sit in with a cuppa that wasn’t Starbucks or Costa, now there are some great places to check out.
The Milkman on Cockburn Street has two locations and apparently excellent coffee (I don’t drink coffee…!). I personally love getting a cuppa in Black Medicine Coffee, although it’s perhaps not the best people-watching spot as a lot of the seating is downstairs. Union Brew Lab is good, and lots of people seem to rave about Source.
Indulge in an afternoon tea
If you’re looking for something more than just a coffee shop stop, how about an afternoon tea?
Edinburgh has some excellent options, although I’ve noticed a few of the most renowned ones have become really pricey – as in, doubled since 2019.
Generally, people say that the Colonnades at the Signet Library is the best place in town for afternoon tea. I haven’t been there yet, but The Balmoral is also excellent. Both have prices to match. The Dome is slightly cheaper for a very iconic venue, and if you want something a bit different, how about the Fingal, a luxury boat in Leith?
A fun way to escape the rain would be taking the Red Bus Bistro, an afternoon tea on a double decker bus! I’m still not sold on this as, knowing me, I’m sure I would end up with tea all down myself.
For something a little more budget-friendly where you don’t need to book, definitely check out the Willows Tea Room. I am undecided whether this should even be in Edinburgh, as it’s a Glasgow institution based on a Glasgow architect. But either way, it’s here and it’s good.
(As an aside, if you’re heading to Glasgow, definitely go to Willows for either lunch or afternoon tea.)
Read more: Glasgow: Scotland’s “Second City” That Shouldn’t Be Missed
Go for a drink
Raining in Scotland? There’s always an easy solution: head to the pub.
My picks would be The World’s End in the Old Town, an institution which marks where the end of Edinburgh used to be; for many people who couldn’t afford to leave, this is literally where their world ended. Or if you’re nearer Princes Street, Dirty Dick’s on Rose Street (pictured above) is a brilliant pub full of character.
If you want some live music to accompany you on a rainy day in Edinburgh, then Whistlebinkies has a regular line up, or if you fancy something cosier that offers session music, try the Sandy Bells or Captain Bar. For heavier music, we love Bannermans (and Banshee’s Labyrinth but it doesn’t open until 5pm on weekdays or 7pm at weekends). Or for some good whisky, check out Bow Bar.
There are absolutely tons of pubs around the Royal Mile and Grassmarket. Some of these are touristy, but you know what, just pop in to whichever one takes your fancy. Even Frankenstein’s is great for a drink, and that’s super touristy – and you might even see Frankenstein’s monster himself.
Related: 12 Quirky & Unique Places To Eat & Drink In Edinburgh
Do a whisky tour
If you’re taking your drinks a little more seriously, then a whisky tour could be the perfect antidote to a rainy day in Edinburgh.
The Scotch Whisky Experience is great if you want an overview of different whiskies around Scotland (unlike distillery tours where you’d only be trying whisky from that distillery), or the Johnnie Walker Experience is apparently brilliant.
There’s also the newest distillery in town, Port of Leith, and it’s the only vertical distillery in Scotland. Speaking of Leith, if you’re more into gin than whisky, we love Lind & Lime, and they offer a fun tour where you can bottle and label your very own gin. Or there’s the popular Edinburgh Gin distillery which has just opened up an impressive new site under the Arches right by Waverley. My mum loves their rhubarb & ginger gin.
Go underground
One of the best attractions in Edinburgh is Mary King’s Close, a fascinating tour of where the city used to be, underneath where the City Chambers are now. This is a really entertaining tour and one of my favourite tourist attractions in Edinburgh, although it does sell out.
There are also tours of the South Bridge vaults, however these usually include a walk around Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, so maybe not the best activity to do on a rainy day in Edinburgh.
Have fun at an activity-themed bar
With bowling, mini golf, darts and even arcade bars opening up everywhere, you’ll never be bored if you want something different from a night out or just an afternoon.
For bowling, head to Lane 7 or Roxy Lanes.
For crazy golf, shuffleboard and even axe throwing, get over to Boom Battle Bar.
For darts, Flight Club offers some great games for a group of people. I have to say this one’s really expensive for drinks, but it’s a good laugh.
And NQ64 is a fantastic neon bar with loads of arcade games, from your classic PacMan to MarioKart and DDR machines. We love it in here and it’s a bit more reasonably priced than the rest on this list!
Go to a vintage cinema
A cinema trip is a classic rainy day activity, but you can do one better in Edinburgh.
Check out the listings for Dominion or the Scotsman cinema for a unique experience. Dominion is an art deco cinema from the 1930’s which offers a vintage setting and might just be the best cinema in Edinburgh.
The Scotsman Hotel has a plush basement cinema which looks amazing. It’s quite pricey but definitely worth it for a treat, and they put on lots of special films, including a Christmas run which I’m always tempted by!
Think outside the box in an escape room
There are several escape rooms in Edinburgh, including a Harry Potter themed one!
My pick would be the Department of Magic one, but if you’re not a Potterhead then Can You Escape? and Escape The Past both look fun! In fact, Escape The Past incorporates a lot of macarbe Edinburgh history, so could be a great one. I know I’m adding it to my list immediately.
(Also, the Department of Magic has a cocktail bar where you can dress up in robes and make your own potion cocktails.)
Take photos in the rain
To be honest, Edinburgh does look good in the rain. It’s got that gothic charm where grey days actually suit it better than sunny ones (which is just as well!).
So if it’s raining and you were hoping to get some good photos, never fear – they may end up much more atmospheric!
Looking for somewhere to stay in Edinburgh?
In the city centre, it’s hard to find an independent that’s both good and reasonably priced. For something budget-friendly, I’d go for a Motel One right on Princes Street, or the Four Points by Sheraton which is a 15 minute walk from the city centre.
Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities to stay in a hostel, though! I highly recommend High Street Hostel – I stayed there a couple of times before I moved here.
Hopefully this gives you some inspo if you get caught out in the rain in Edinburgh! And with any luck, the rain won’t last long. It often doesn’t.
What are some of your favourite rainy day activities in a city?
Read more about Edinburgh below:
⭐ My Highlights Of Edinburgh
⭐ How To Spend The Perfect Sunday In Edinburgh
⭐ Edinburgh’s 10 Best Walks & Where To Find Them
⭐ A Local’s Guide To Leith, Edinburgh’s Coolest Neighbourhood
⭐ 12 Quirky & Unique Places To Eat & Drink In Edinburgh
⭐ A Guide To Edinburgh Fringe
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As much as I dislike rain, I admit that there’s a certain charm and beauty to Edinburgh in the rain. I hope to revisit Edinburgh some day, as I only had a brief time there almost a decade ago…these suggestions of activities to do on a rainy day in town are very useful in helping me determine what to do when I return! Thanks for sharing, Clazz 🙂
I don’t like the rain either, but it’s definitely not a bad place to be in (what we say in Scotland) dreich weather. And of course you’re welcome to stay with us when you do return! 🙂
Loved this! Edinburgh really does shine in the rain, so many cosy museums, cafés, and quirky spots to duck into. I’m saving this list for my next drizzly visit!
Totally get what you mean about the rain — it can really shape your plans! But reading your blog, I loved how you turned a rainy day in Edinburgh into something so enjoyable. It actually reminded me a lot of the Kathmandu–Pokhara–Chitwan tour back in Nepal — rain or shine, there’s always something meaningful to do. Really loved your suggestions!