What to Pack for Edinburgh in Winter!

What to Pack for Edinburgh in Winter

If you’re visiting Edinburgh during winter, be sure to wrap up! It may not be the coldest city in Europe but Edinburgh is infamous for being extremely damp and windy, often making it feel a lot colder than the predicted weather forecast! We also have a famous saying in Scotland, "four seasons in one day" as it's not uncommon for it to be blue skies in the morning, pouring with rain by the afternoon, and clear skies by the evening. So, my biggest tip for visiting, be prepared! To help give you an idea of what to pack, I’ve included all the essentials for what to pack for Edinburgh in winter below!

Edinburgh Winter Packing List: The Essentials

1.Warm Clothes

As the weather is so changeable, I recommend wearing layers! On a day-to-day basis, I usually wear some form of t-shirt/thermal top under a cosy jumper with and jeans (if it's an extra chilly day, I'll also wear tights under my jeans!) or a skirt with thermal tights and a warm water-proof coat.

• Depending on how long you're visiting for, I'd pack a couple of jumpers ranging from thick cosy polo necks to slightly dressier jumpers if you're going out for a nice dinner or a night at the theatre. A particular favourite of mine at the moment is this Joules jumper adorned with cheerful robins which they kindly gifted to me. 
• If you want to stay extra cosy, something like Uniqlo's Heattech top is perfect for wearing underneath your jumper. 

• Feel free to wear any bottoms you prefer, if I were packing I would bring a pair of jeans and a skirt. To keep extra cosy, I often wear Primark's very affordable Super Cosy 300 denier tights which have a fleecy lining under my jeans or with a skirt. I've recently spotted Uniqlo Heattech leggings which I'm tempted to order!

• When choosing a practical coat, I always opt for a coat with a hood as Edinburgh can be extremely windy and I've seen many a sad umbrella lying in rubbish bins. If you want to guarantee you'll be warm, I'd opt for a down puffer coat which is wind resistant (I'm still on the lookout for my perfect winter coat). If I were visiting for a week, I'd also bring a “nicer” wool jacket for fair but chilly days, or for an evening out.

2. Gloves, a Hat and a Scarf

Despite polo neck jumpers being my absolute favourites for winter, like I mentioned previously, the weather can be extremely changeable so it's a good idea to layer up with a warm scarf, hat, and a pair of gloves.

3. Comfortable Footwear

Edinburgh is known for its cobbled streets and hills, so I would recommend avoiding heels unless you're heading out for the evening in a taxi. Edinburgh's city centre is fairly small and therefore most locals will opt to walk - it's often faster than taking a taxi or bus! Therefore, I'd recommend packing your comfiest pair of shoes, whether that be a pair of trainers or boots.

• On rainy days, I've been reaching for my Joules wellibobs. They have a range of colours and patterns, I opted for the adorable dachshunds wellibobs (gifted)! Due to their size, they feel a lot more appropriate to wear around the city on a rainy day than regular wellies. 

4. Bag

Edinburgh is known for being a fairly safe city, although if you're visiting during August when the Edinburgh Festival is on, be careful as pickpockets are known to be in busy areas like the Royal Mile. Personally, I've never had anything stolen from me but one can never be too careful! Whether you prefer a handbag, a tote bag, or a backpack, my advice would be to go with something versatile (which can be used during the day or evening) and which can fit all your essentials (for me, that would be my camera!). Backpacks are my personal favourite at the moment but if you're planning on visiting museums or art galleries, be aware that you'll most likely have to carry your backpack.

• Looking for a backpack? I personally love Longchamp's Le Pliage backpacks as I think they're both stylish and practical (it's on my birthday wish list), or Fjallraven Kanken backpacks. 

Photo Credit: @_paularussell (Instagram)

4. Other bits and bobs

There are always a few extra items that I always pack which I thought I might as well include here.

• Whenever I travel, my normally combinations skins becomes very dry and the best product I've come across is Weleda's skin food! Living in Scotland means putting up with windy cold weather during the winter and Weleda works wonders on my winter skin. 
• Also, I never leave my house without a lip balm. I've tried many over the years and have found two that work for me (the rest either make my lips worse or they feel coated). For daytime, I use Lipmate (SPF 15) and before bed, I use Nuxe's lip balm!
• A battery pack! When I travel, I take so many photos and videos so a phone battery pack is a must.

I know that my list by no means covers everything and it's written from a girl's perspective, but, I hope if you are planning on visiting Edinburgh and had doubts on what to pack, that this post might be somewhat useful. If you have any tips that I missed out please do leave them in the comments below, I'd love to hear them!

Bye for now x