The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Edinburgh in January
On January 1 in Edinburgh the sun rises at 08:44 and sets at 15:49; on day 31 it rises at 08:13 and sets at 16:40. Over the month the day grows 82 minutes longer.
In Edinburgh (56.0° latitude), January 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 08:44 and sets at 15:49 on the 1st, and at 08:13 and 16:40 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 7 h 34 min and the sun reaches 13° 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 January 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 January?
Mid-January in Edinburgh: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 129°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 231°. That is 39° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 39° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 11° 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 | 07:57 | 08:44 | 15:49 | 16:36 | 7 h 05 min |
| 2 | 07:57 | 08:44 | 15:50 | 16:37 | 7 h 06 min |
| 3 | 07:57 | 08:43 | 15:51 | 16:38 | 7 h 08 min |
| 4 | 07:57 | 08:43 | 15:53 | 16:39 | 7 h 10 min |
| 5 | 07:56 | 08:43 | 15:54 | 16:40 | 7 h 11 min |
| 6 | 07:56 | 08:42 | 15:55 | 16:41 | 7 h 13 min |
| 7 | 07:55 | 08:41 | 15:57 | 16:43 | 7 h 15 min |
| 8 | 07:55 | 08:41 | 15:58 | 16:44 | 7 h 17 min |
| 9 | 07:54 | 08:40 | 16:00 | 16:45 | 7 h 19 min |
| 10 | 07:54 | 08:39 | 16:01 | 16:47 | 7 h 22 min |
| 11 | 07:53 | 08:39 | 16:03 | 16:48 | 7 h 24 min |
| 12 | 07:53 | 08:38 | 16:04 | 16:49 | 7 h 26 min |
| 13 | 07:52 | 08:37 | 16:06 | 16:51 | 7 h 29 min |
| 14 | 07:51 | 08:36 | 16:08 | 16:52 | 7 h 32 min |
| 15 | 07:50 | 08:35 | 16:09 | 16:54 | 7 h 34 min |
| 16 | 07:49 | 08:34 | 16:11 | 16:55 | 7 h 37 min |
| 17 | 07:49 | 08:33 | 16:13 | 16:57 | 7 h 40 min |
| 18 | 07:48 | 08:32 | 16:15 | 16:59 | 7 h 43 min |
| 19 | 07:47 | 08:30 | 16:16 | 17:00 | 7 h 46 min |
| 20 | 07:45 | 08:29 | 16:18 | 17:02 | 7 h 49 min |
| 21 | 07:44 | 08:28 | 16:20 | 17:04 | 7 h 52 min |
| 22 | 07:43 | 08:27 | 16:22 | 17:05 | 7 h 55 min |
| 23 | 07:42 | 08:25 | 16:24 | 17:07 | 7 h 59 min |
| 24 | 07:41 | 08:24 | 16:26 | 17:09 | 8 h 02 min |
| 25 | 07:40 | 08:22 | 16:28 | 17:11 | 8 h 06 min |
| 26 | 07:38 | 08:21 | 16:30 | 17:12 | 8 h 09 min |
| 27 | 07:37 | 08:19 | 16:32 | 17:14 | 8 h 13 min |
| 28 | 07:35 | 08:18 | 16:34 | 17:16 | 8 h 16 min |
| 29 | 07:34 | 08:16 | 16:36 | 17:18 | 8 h 20 min |
| 30 | 07:32 | 08:14 | 16:38 | 17:20 | 8 h 24 min |
| 31 | 07:31 | 08:13 | 16:40 | 17:22 | 8 h 28 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in January?
In January 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 January
- Where does the sun set in Edinburgh in January?
- Mid-January in Edinburgh: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 231° measured from true north, which is 39° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 129°. Over the month both points shift 11° north.
- How much daylight does Edinburgh gain in January?
- Over January the day gets 82 minutes longer in Edinburgh: on January 1 the sun rises at 08:44 and sets at 15:49, and on day 31 it rises at 08:13 and sets at 16:40.
- How many hours of daylight does Edinburgh get in January?
- In mid-January the day lasts 7 h 34 min in Edinburgh, from sunrise at 08:35 to sunset at 16:09. 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 January?
- In mid-January the sky starts to get light at 07:50 in Edinburgh, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 08:35. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Edinburgh in January?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-January in Edinburgh the sun sets at 16:09, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 16:54, 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 January?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on January 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 January it is the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.