The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Edinburgh in April
On April 1 in Edinburgh the sun rises at 06:47 and sets at 19:47; on day 30 it rises at 05:33 and sets at 20:47. Over the month the day grows 135 minutes longer.
In Edinburgh (56.0° latitude), April 2026 has 30 days whose sun rises at 06:47 and sets at 19:47 on the 1st, and at 05:33 and 20:47 on the 30th. Mid-month the day lasts 14 h 06 min and the sun reaches 43° above the horizon. Vitamin D synthesis is possible between 12:00 and 15:00, which is when the UV index reaches at least 3: at the best moment of the day about 16 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.
Where does the sun rise and set in Edinburgh in April?
Mid-April in Edinburgh: the sun rises in the east — a bearing of 72°, measured from true north — and sets in the west, at 288°. That is 18° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 18° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 20° north.
Approximate bearings: they can be a couple of degrees out. They are measured from true north, not the north a phone compass points to.
Day by day
All times are local to Edinburgh. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 06:09 | 06:47 | 19:47 | 20:25 | 13 h 00 min |
| 2 | 06:07 | 06:45 | 19:49 | 20:27 | 13 h 04 min |
| 3 | 06:04 | 06:42 | 19:51 | 20:29 | 13 h 09 min |
| 4 | 06:01 | 06:39 | 19:53 | 20:31 | 13 h 14 min |
| 5 | 05:58 | 06:36 | 19:55 | 20:34 | 13 h 19 min |
| 6 | 05:55 | 06:34 | 19:57 | 20:36 | 13 h 24 min |
| 7 | 05:53 | 06:31 | 19:59 | 20:38 | 13 h 28 min |
| 8 | 05:50 | 06:28 | 20:01 | 20:40 | 13 h 33 min |
| 9 | 05:47 | 06:26 | 20:04 | 20:42 | 13 h 38 min |
| 10 | 05:44 | 06:23 | 20:06 | 20:45 | 13 h 43 min |
| 11 | 05:41 | 06:20 | 20:08 | 20:47 | 13 h 47 min |
| 12 | 05:38 | 06:18 | 20:10 | 20:49 | 13 h 52 min |
| 13 | 05:36 | 06:15 | 20:12 | 20:51 | 13 h 57 min |
| 14 | 05:33 | 06:13 | 20:14 | 20:54 | 14 h 01 min |
| 15 | 05:30 | 06:10 | 20:16 | 20:56 | 14 h 06 min |
| 16 | 05:27 | 06:07 | 20:18 | 20:58 | 14 h 11 min |
| 17 | 05:24 | 06:05 | 20:20 | 21:01 | 14 h 15 min |
| 18 | 05:22 | 06:02 | 20:22 | 21:03 | 14 h 20 min |
| 19 | 05:19 | 06:00 | 20:24 | 21:05 | 14 h 25 min |
| 20 | 05:16 | 05:57 | 20:26 | 21:08 | 14 h 29 min |
| 21 | 05:13 | 05:55 | 20:29 | 21:10 | 14 h 34 min |
| 22 | 05:10 | 05:52 | 20:31 | 21:12 | 14 h 39 min |
| 23 | 05:08 | 05:50 | 20:33 | 21:15 | 14 h 43 min |
| 24 | 05:05 | 05:47 | 20:35 | 21:17 | 14 h 48 min |
| 25 | 05:02 | 05:45 | 20:37 | 21:19 | 14 h 52 min |
| 26 | 05:00 | 05:42 | 20:39 | 21:22 | 14 h 57 min |
| 27 | 04:57 | 05:40 | 20:41 | 21:24 | 15 h 01 min |
| 28 | 04:54 | 05:37 | 20:43 | 21:26 | 15 h 06 min |
| 29 | 04:51 | 05:35 | 20:45 | 21:29 | 15 h 10 min |
| 30 | 04:49 | 05:33 | 20:47 | 21:31 | 15 h 15 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in April?
In April, the typical synthesis window in Edinburgh runs from 12:00 to 15:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~16 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Edinburgh vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Edinburgh in April
- Where does the sun set in Edinburgh in April?
- Mid-April in Edinburgh: the sun sets in the west, a bearing of 288° measured from true north, which is 18° north of due west. It rises in the east, at 72°. Over the month both points shift 20° north.
- How much daylight does Edinburgh gain in April?
- Over April the day gets 135 minutes longer in Edinburgh: on April 1 the sun rises at 06:47 and sets at 19:47, and on day 30 it rises at 05:33 and sets at 20:47.
- How many hours of daylight does Edinburgh get in April?
- In mid-April the day lasts 14 h 06 min in Edinburgh, from sunrise at 06:10 to sunset at 20:16. The table has the day length for each of the 30 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Edinburgh in April?
- In mid-April the sky starts to get light at 05:30 in Edinburgh, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 06:10. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Edinburgh in April?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-April in Edinburgh the sun sets at 20:16, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 20:56, when the sun reaches 6° below the horizon and usable outdoor light runs out. The “Dusk” column of the table gives that time day by day.
- What time of day can you make vitamin D in Edinburgh in April?
- In mid-April, between 12:00 and 15:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Edinburgh, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 16 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.