Notes from a winter in Edinburgh

Winter Edinburgh 6

Despite being low on snow (one of my favorite wintery things), Edinburgh is extremely alluring in the winter months. (Stop laughing – I’m serious.) Winter just suits Edinburgh, with its medieval architecture and cozy pubs and whisky and fireplaces and all. I almost don’t want spring to come. 

Winter Edinburgh 1

Yes, we’re a little short of daylight hours these days, but it’s surprisingly tolerable (and as a balance, we get to look forward to the impossibly-long summer days ahead). One of the little-appreciated perks of late winter sunrise times is that it’s so much easier to be awake to see the sunrise.

Winter Edinburgh 2

At least once a week we wake up to a vibrantly pink sky overhead.

Winter Edinburgh 9

Some days (like today) we get crisp sunny days, but there are also some of the cold, windy, rainy days which make one never want to leave the house. But! I’m pretty sure that cold and stormy weather makes sitting by the fire with a dram of Lagavulin and a good book (or a new episode of Sherlock) even better. Going out in crappy weather every once in a while makes you appreciate it all the more when you are not, in fact, out in crappy whether.

Winter Edinburgh 7

We are fitting in all kinds of cultural edification this winter. It’s been a while since we lived somewhere with a plethora of English-language theater, so we’re lapping that up left and right. Lion King came through town in December; this week we saw War Horse.

Winter Edinburgh 3

The long hours of darkness seem to be attracting light-based art installations to Edinburgh this winter. In Old Town you can see lantern terracotta warriors; in St Andrew Square (New Town) the exhibition Field of Light will be on through April.

Winter Edinburgh 4

We particularly liked Field of Light – go have a wander through if you’re in town.

Winter Edinburgh 5

What’s your favorite thing about winter where you are?

Winter Edinburgh

2 thoughts on “Notes from a winter in Edinburgh”

  1. Those light installations are cool. Great sunrise pics too. 🙂

    We get some amazing sunsets here, but confess I’ve yet to arise for a Brighton sunrise!

  2. It’s getting harder and harder to catch the sunrises in Edinburgh these days, too. Spring must be just around the corner!

Comments are closed.