The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Edinburgh in October
On October 1 in Edinburgh the sun rises at 07:21 and sets at 18:43; on day 31 it rises at 07:23 and sets at 16:29. Over the month the day gets 136 minutes shorter.
In Edinburgh (56.0° latitude), October 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 07:21 and sets at 18:43 on the 1st, and at 07:23 and 16:29 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 10 h 17 min and the sun reaches 24° 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 October 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 October?
Mid-October in Edinburgh: the sun rises in the east — a bearing of 106°, measured from true north — and sets in the west, at 254°. That is 16° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 16° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 20° 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 | 06:44 | 07:21 | 18:43 | 19:20 | 11 h 22 min |
| 2 | 06:46 | 07:23 | 18:40 | 19:17 | 11 h 17 min |
| 3 | 06:48 | 07:25 | 18:37 | 19:14 | 11 h 12 min |
| 4 | 06:50 | 07:27 | 18:35 | 19:12 | 11 h 08 min |
| 5 | 06:52 | 07:29 | 18:32 | 19:09 | 11 h 03 min |
| 6 | 06:54 | 07:31 | 18:29 | 19:06 | 10 h 58 min |
| 7 | 06:56 | 07:33 | 18:27 | 19:04 | 10 h 54 min |
| 8 | 06:58 | 07:35 | 18:24 | 19:01 | 10 h 49 min |
| 9 | 07:00 | 07:37 | 18:21 | 18:59 | 10 h 44 min |
| 10 | 07:02 | 07:39 | 18:19 | 18:56 | 10 h 40 min |
| 11 | 07:04 | 07:41 | 18:16 | 18:54 | 10 h 35 min |
| 12 | 07:06 | 07:43 | 18:14 | 18:51 | 10 h 30 min |
| 13 | 07:08 | 07:45 | 18:11 | 18:49 | 10 h 26 min |
| 14 | 07:10 | 07:48 | 18:09 | 18:46 | 10 h 21 min |
| 15 | 07:12 | 07:50 | 18:06 | 18:44 | 10 h 17 min |
| 16 | 07:14 | 07:52 | 18:04 | 18:42 | 10 h 12 min |
| 17 | 07:16 | 07:54 | 18:01 | 18:39 | 10 h 07 min |
| 18 | 07:18 | 07:56 | 17:59 | 18:37 | 10 h 03 min |
| 19 | 07:20 | 07:58 | 17:56 | 18:35 | 9 h 58 min |
| 20 | 07:22 | 08:00 | 17:54 | 18:32 | 9 h 54 min |
| 21 | 07:24 | 08:02 | 17:52 | 18:30 | 9 h 49 min |
| 22 | 07:26 | 08:04 | 17:49 | 18:28 | 9 h 45 min |
| 23 | 07:28 | 08:06 | 17:47 | 18:26 | 9 h 40 min |
| 24 | 07:30 | 08:09 | 17:45 | 18:23 | 9 h 36 min |
| 25 | 06:32 | 07:11 | 16:42 | 17:21 | 9 h 32 min |
| 26 | 06:34 | 07:13 | 16:40 | 17:19 | 9 h 27 min |
| 27 | 06:36 | 07:15 | 16:38 | 17:17 | 9 h 23 min |
| 28 | 06:38 | 07:17 | 16:36 | 17:15 | 9 h 19 min |
| 29 | 06:40 | 07:19 | 16:33 | 17:13 | 9 h 14 min |
| 30 | 06:42 | 07:21 | 16:31 | 17:11 | 9 h 10 min |
| 31 | 06:44 | 07:23 | 16:29 | 17:09 | 9 h 06 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in October?
In October 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 October
- Where does the sun set in Edinburgh in October?
- Mid-October in Edinburgh: the sun sets in the west, a bearing of 254° measured from true north, which is 16° south of due west. It rises in the east, at 106°. Over the month both points shift 20° south.
- How much daylight does Edinburgh lose in October?
- Over October the day gets 136 minutes shorter in Edinburgh: on October 1 the sun rises at 07:21 and sets at 18:43, and on day 31 it rises at 07:23 and sets at 16:29.
- How many hours of daylight does Edinburgh get in October?
- In mid-October the day lasts 10 h 17 min in Edinburgh, from sunrise at 07:50 to sunset at 18:06. 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 October?
- In mid-October the sky starts to get light at 07:12 in Edinburgh, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 07:50. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Edinburgh in October?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-October in Edinburgh the sun sets at 18:06, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 18:44, 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 October?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on October 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 October it is the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.