The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Edinburgh in December
On December 1 in Edinburgh the sun rises at 08:22 and sets at 15:43; on day 31 it rises at 08:44 and sets at 15:48. Over the month the day gets 17 minutes shorter.
In Edinburgh (56.0° latitude), December 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 08:22 and sets at 15:43 on the 1st, and at 08:44 and 15:48 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 6 h 59 min and the sun reaches 11° 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 December 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 December?
Mid-December in Edinburgh: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 133°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 227°. That is 43° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 43° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 2° 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 | 07:37 | 08:22 | 15:43 | 16:28 | 7 h 20 min |
| 2 | 07:38 | 08:24 | 15:42 | 16:28 | 7 h 18 min |
| 3 | 07:39 | 08:25 | 15:41 | 16:27 | 7 h 16 min |
| 4 | 07:41 | 08:27 | 15:41 | 16:27 | 7 h 14 min |
| 5 | 07:42 | 08:28 | 15:40 | 16:27 | 7 h 12 min |
| 6 | 07:43 | 08:29 | 15:40 | 16:26 | 7 h 10 min |
| 7 | 07:44 | 08:31 | 15:39 | 16:26 | 7 h 09 min |
| 8 | 07:45 | 08:32 | 15:39 | 16:26 | 7 h 07 min |
| 9 | 07:46 | 08:33 | 15:39 | 16:25 | 7 h 06 min |
| 10 | 07:47 | 08:34 | 15:39 | 16:25 | 7 h 04 min |
| 11 | 07:48 | 08:35 | 15:38 | 16:25 | 7 h 03 min |
| 12 | 07:49 | 08:36 | 15:38 | 16:25 | 7 h 02 min |
| 13 | 07:50 | 08:37 | 15:38 | 16:25 | 7 h 01 min |
| 14 | 07:51 | 08:38 | 15:38 | 16:25 | 7 h 00 min |
| 15 | 07:52 | 08:39 | 15:38 | 16:26 | 6 h 59 min |
| 16 | 07:52 | 08:40 | 15:38 | 16:26 | 6 h 59 min |
| 17 | 07:53 | 08:40 | 15:39 | 16:26 | 6 h 58 min |
| 18 | 07:54 | 08:41 | 15:39 | 16:26 | 6 h 58 min |
| 19 | 07:54 | 08:42 | 15:39 | 16:27 | 6 h 58 min |
| 20 | 07:55 | 08:42 | 15:40 | 16:27 | 6 h 57 min |
| 21 | 07:55 | 08:43 | 15:40 | 16:27 | 6 h 57 min |
| 22 | 07:56 | 08:43 | 15:41 | 16:28 | 6 h 57 min |
| 23 | 07:56 | 08:43 | 15:41 | 16:29 | 6 h 58 min |
| 24 | 07:56 | 08:44 | 15:42 | 16:29 | 6 h 58 min |
| 25 | 07:57 | 08:44 | 15:42 | 16:30 | 6 h 58 min |
| 26 | 07:57 | 08:44 | 15:43 | 16:30 | 6 h 59 min |
| 27 | 07:57 | 08:44 | 15:44 | 16:31 | 7 h 00 min |
| 28 | 07:57 | 08:44 | 15:45 | 16:32 | 7 h 01 min |
| 29 | 07:57 | 08:44 | 15:46 | 16:33 | 7 h 02 min |
| 30 | 07:57 | 08:44 | 15:47 | 16:34 | 7 h 03 min |
| 31 | 07:57 | 08:44 | 15:48 | 16:35 | 7 h 04 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in December?
In December 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 December
- Where does the sun set in Edinburgh in December?
- Mid-December in Edinburgh: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 227° measured from true north, which is 43° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 133°. Over the month both points shift 2° south.
- How much daylight does Edinburgh lose in December?
- Over December the day gets 17 minutes shorter in Edinburgh: on December 1 the sun rises at 08:22 and sets at 15:43, and on day 31 it rises at 08:44 and sets at 15:48.
- How many hours of daylight does Edinburgh get in December?
- In mid-December the day lasts 6 h 59 min in Edinburgh, from sunrise at 08:39 to sunset at 15:38. 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 December?
- In mid-December the sky starts to get light at 07:52 in Edinburgh, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 08:39. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Edinburgh in December?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-December in Edinburgh the sun sets at 15:38, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 16:26, 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 December?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on December 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 December it is the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.