The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Edinburgh in August
On August 1 in Edinburgh the sun rises at 05:17 and sets at 21:20; on day 31 it rises at 06:18 and sets at 20:07. Over the month the day gets 133 minutes shorter.
In Edinburgh (56.0° latitude), August 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 05:17 and sets at 21:20 on the 1st, and at 06:18 and 20:07 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 15 h 03 min and the sun reaches 48° above the horizon. Vitamin D synthesis is possible between 11:00 and 17:00, which is when the UV index reaches at least 3: at the best moment of the day about 12 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 August?
Mid-August in Edinburgh: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 63°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 297°. That is 27° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 27° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 19° south.
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 | 04:29 | 05:17 | 21:20 | 22:08 | 16 h 03 min |
| 2 | 04:32 | 05:19 | 21:18 | 22:06 | 15 h 59 min |
| 3 | 04:34 | 05:21 | 21:16 | 22:03 | 15 h 55 min |
| 4 | 04:36 | 05:23 | 21:14 | 22:01 | 15 h 51 min |
| 5 | 04:39 | 05:25 | 21:12 | 21:58 | 15 h 47 min |
| 6 | 04:41 | 05:27 | 21:10 | 21:56 | 15 h 42 min |
| 7 | 04:43 | 05:29 | 21:07 | 21:53 | 15 h 38 min |
| 8 | 04:46 | 05:31 | 21:05 | 21:51 | 15 h 34 min |
| 9 | 04:48 | 05:33 | 21:03 | 21:48 | 15 h 30 min |
| 10 | 04:50 | 05:35 | 21:01 | 21:45 | 15 h 25 min |
| 11 | 04:53 | 05:37 | 20:58 | 21:43 | 15 h 21 min |
| 12 | 04:55 | 05:39 | 20:56 | 21:40 | 15 h 17 min |
| 13 | 04:57 | 05:41 | 20:53 | 21:37 | 15 h 12 min |
| 14 | 05:00 | 05:43 | 20:51 | 21:35 | 15 h 08 min |
| 15 | 05:02 | 05:45 | 20:49 | 21:32 | 15 h 03 min |
| 16 | 05:04 | 05:47 | 20:46 | 21:29 | 14 h 59 min |
| 17 | 05:07 | 05:49 | 20:44 | 21:26 | 14 h 54 min |
| 18 | 05:09 | 05:51 | 20:41 | 21:24 | 14 h 50 min |
| 19 | 05:11 | 05:53 | 20:39 | 21:21 | 14 h 45 min |
| 20 | 05:14 | 05:55 | 20:36 | 21:18 | 14 h 41 min |
| 21 | 05:16 | 05:57 | 20:34 | 21:15 | 14 h 36 min |
| 22 | 05:18 | 05:59 | 20:31 | 21:12 | 14 h 32 min |
| 23 | 05:21 | 06:02 | 20:29 | 21:10 | 14 h 27 min |
| 24 | 05:23 | 06:04 | 20:26 | 21:07 | 14 h 22 min |
| 25 | 05:25 | 06:06 | 20:23 | 21:04 | 14 h 18 min |
| 26 | 05:27 | 06:08 | 20:21 | 21:01 | 14 h 13 min |
| 27 | 05:30 | 06:10 | 20:18 | 20:58 | 14 h 08 min |
| 28 | 05:32 | 06:12 | 20:15 | 20:55 | 14 h 04 min |
| 29 | 05:34 | 06:14 | 20:13 | 20:52 | 13 h 59 min |
| 30 | 05:36 | 06:16 | 20:10 | 20:50 | 13 h 54 min |
| 31 | 05:39 | 06:18 | 20:07 | 20:47 | 13 h 50 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in August?
In August, the typical synthesis window in Edinburgh runs from 11:00 to 17:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~12 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Edinburgh vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Edinburgh in August
- Where does the sun set in Edinburgh in August?
- Mid-August in Edinburgh: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 297° measured from true north, which is 27° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 63°. Over the month both points shift 19° south.
- How much daylight does Edinburgh lose in August?
- Over August the day gets 133 minutes shorter in Edinburgh: on August 1 the sun rises at 05:17 and sets at 21:20, and on day 31 it rises at 06:18 and sets at 20:07.
- How many hours of daylight does Edinburgh get in August?
- In mid-August the day lasts 15 h 03 min in Edinburgh, from sunrise at 05:45 to sunset at 20:49. 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 August?
- In mid-August the sky starts to get light at 05:02 in Edinburgh, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 05:45. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Edinburgh in August?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-August in Edinburgh the sun sets at 20:49, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 21:32, 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 August?
- In mid-August, between 11:00 and 17:00: 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 12 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.