The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Edinburgh in March
On March 1 in Edinburgh the sun rises at 07:09 and sets at 17:42; on day 31 it rises at 06:50 and sets at 19:45. Over the month the day grows 142 minutes longer.
In Edinburgh (56.0° latitude), March 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 07:09 and sets at 17:42 on the 1st, and at 06:50 and 19:45 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 11 h 39 min and the sun reaches 31° above the horizon. Even so, the UV index never reaches 3 at any point in the month: at this latitude and time of year, the ozone layer absorbs UVB before enough of it reaches the ground. So in March there is no vitamin D synthesis in Edinburgh at any hour of the day, however long you stay out.
Where does the sun rise and set in Edinburgh in March?
Mid-March in Edinburgh: the sun rises in the east — a bearing of 94°, measured from true north — and sets in the west, at 266°. That is 4° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 4° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 21° 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 | 06:32 | 07:09 | 17:42 | 18:20 | 10 h 33 min |
| 2 | 06:30 | 07:07 | 17:44 | 18:22 | 10 h 37 min |
| 3 | 06:27 | 07:04 | 17:46 | 18:24 | 10 h 42 min |
| 4 | 06:25 | 07:02 | 17:49 | 18:26 | 10 h 47 min |
| 5 | 06:22 | 06:59 | 17:51 | 18:28 | 10 h 51 min |
| 6 | 06:20 | 06:57 | 17:53 | 18:30 | 10 h 56 min |
| 7 | 06:17 | 06:54 | 17:55 | 18:32 | 11 h 01 min |
| 8 | 06:15 | 06:52 | 17:57 | 18:34 | 11 h 05 min |
| 9 | 06:12 | 06:49 | 17:59 | 18:36 | 11 h 10 min |
| 10 | 06:09 | 06:46 | 18:01 | 18:38 | 11 h 15 min |
| 11 | 06:07 | 06:44 | 18:03 | 18:40 | 11 h 20 min |
| 12 | 06:04 | 06:41 | 18:05 | 18:42 | 11 h 24 min |
| 13 | 06:02 | 06:38 | 18:07 | 18:44 | 11 h 29 min |
| 14 | 05:59 | 06:36 | 18:10 | 18:47 | 11 h 34 min |
| 15 | 05:56 | 06:33 | 18:12 | 18:49 | 11 h 39 min |
| 16 | 05:54 | 06:30 | 18:14 | 18:51 | 11 h 43 min |
| 17 | 05:51 | 06:28 | 18:16 | 18:53 | 11 h 48 min |
| 18 | 05:48 | 06:25 | 18:18 | 18:55 | 11 h 53 min |
| 19 | 05:45 | 06:22 | 18:20 | 18:57 | 11 h 58 min |
| 20 | 05:43 | 06:20 | 18:22 | 18:59 | 12 h 02 min |
| 21 | 05:40 | 06:17 | 18:24 | 19:01 | 12 h 07 min |
| 22 | 05:37 | 06:14 | 18:26 | 19:03 | 12 h 12 min |
| 23 | 05:35 | 06:12 | 18:28 | 19:05 | 12 h 17 min |
| 24 | 05:32 | 06:09 | 18:30 | 19:08 | 12 h 21 min |
| 25 | 05:29 | 06:06 | 18:32 | 19:10 | 12 h 26 min |
| 26 | 05:26 | 06:04 | 18:35 | 19:12 | 12 h 31 min |
| 27 | 05:23 | 06:01 | 18:37 | 19:14 | 12 h 36 min |
| 28 | 05:21 | 05:58 | 18:39 | 19:16 | 12 h 41 min |
| 29 | 06:18 | 06:55 | 19:41 | 20:18 | 12 h 45 min |
| 30 | 06:15 | 06:53 | 19:43 | 20:20 | 12 h 50 min |
| 31 | 06:12 | 06:50 | 19:45 | 20:23 | 12 h 55 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in March?
In March the sun doesn't climb high enough in Edinburgh for vitamin D synthesis: the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.
See the Edinburgh vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Edinburgh in March
- Where does the sun set in Edinburgh in March?
- Mid-March in Edinburgh: the sun sets in the west, a bearing of 266° measured from true north, which is 4° south of due west. It rises in the east, at 94°. Over the month both points shift 21° north.
- How much daylight does Edinburgh gain in March?
- Over March the day gets 142 minutes longer in Edinburgh: on March 1 the sun rises at 07:09 and sets at 17:42, and on day 31 it rises at 06:50 and sets at 19:45.
- How many hours of daylight does Edinburgh get in March?
- In mid-March the day lasts 11 h 39 min in Edinburgh, from sunrise at 06:33 to sunset at 18:12. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Edinburgh in March?
- In mid-March the sky starts to get light at 05:56 in Edinburgh, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 06:33. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Edinburgh in March?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-March in Edinburgh the sun sets at 18:12, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 18:49, 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 March?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on March 15 does the UV index reach 3 in Edinburgh, and below that minimum the skin makes no vitamin D, however long you stay out. In March it is the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.