Best time to visit Kirkwall
Month-by-month weather averages for Kirkwall.
Kirkwall, Scotland, United Kingdom
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.3 °C / 45 °F | 5.3 °C / 42 °F | 115 mm / 4.5 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 6.8 °C / 44 °F | 5.1 °C / 41 °F | 85 mm / 3.3 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 6.9 °C / 44 °F | 5.2 °C / 41 °F | 74 mm / 2.9 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 7.7 °C / 46 °F | 6.2 °C / 43 °F | 53 mm / 2.1 in | neither best nor good |
| May | 9.2 °C / 49 °F | 7.9 °C / 46 °F | 54 mm / 2.1 in | neither best nor good |
| June | 11.1 °C / 52 °F | 10 °C / 50 °F | 49 mm / 1.9 in | neither best nor good |
| July | 12.9 °C / 55 °F | 11.8 °C / 53 °F | 62 mm / 2.4 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 13.6 °C / 56 °F | 12.4 °C / 54 °F | 79 mm / 3.1 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 13.1 °C / 56 °F | 11.7 °C / 53 °F | 96 mm / 3.8 in | neither best nor good |
| October | 11.6 °C / 53 °F | 9.9 °C / 50 °F | 133 mm / 5.2 in | neither best nor good |
| November | 9.6 °C / 49 °F | 7.8 °C / 46 °F | 123 mm / 4.8 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 8.2 °C / 47 °F | 6.1 °C / 43 °F | 121 mm / 4.8 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: neither
- MMay: neither
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
No month is good for this in Kirkwall.
Hiking and trekking
Cool enough to climb in, dry enough to enjoy, long enough days.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: good
- MMay: good
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- June–August
- Good
- April–May, September
Why these months
April · good
In its favour: precipitation 53 mm / 2.1 in, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, average daily high 7.7 °C / 46 °F, average daily low 6.2 °C / 43 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 71%, daylight per day 14.5 h.
Against: feels like (high) 3 °C / 37 °F, wet days 12.7 days, wind (daily max) 38 km/h / 24 mph.
May · good
In its favour: precipitation 54 mm / 2.1 in, average daily high 9.2 °C / 49 °F, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, average daily low 7.9 °C / 46 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 69%, daylight per day 16.9 h, wet days 12.1 days, feels like (high) 5.5 °C / 42 °F.
Against: wind (daily max) 34 km/h / 21 mph.
June · best
In its favour: average daily high 11.1 °C / 52 °F, precipitation 49 mm / 1.9 in, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, average daily low 10 °C / 50 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 66%, daylight per day 18.3 h, wet days 10.2 days, feels like (high) 8.2 °C / 47 °F, wind (daily max) 32 km/h / 20 mph.
July · best
In its favour: average daily high 12.9 °C / 55 °F, precipitation 62 mm / 2.4 in, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, average daily low 11.8 °C / 53 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 64%, daylight per day 17.6 h, feels like (high) 10.7 °C / 51 °F, wet days 12.2 days, wind (daily max) 31 km/h / 19 mph.
August · best
In its favour: average daily high 13.6 °C / 56 °F, precipitation 79 mm / 3.1 in, days with heavy rain 1.5 days, feels like (high) 11.2 °C / 52 °F, average daily low 12.4 °C / 54 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 68%, daylight per day 15.4 h, wind (daily max) 33 km/h / 21 mph.
Against: wet days 14.6 days.
September · good
In its favour: average daily high 13.1 °C / 56 °F, precipitation 96 mm / 3.8 in, days with heavy rain 2.4 days, average daily low 11.7 °C / 53 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 63%, daylight per day 12.8 h, feels like (high) 9.7 °C / 49 °F.
Against: wet days 16.6 days, wind (daily max) 39 km/h / 24 mph.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Glenshee Ski Center, 234 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 1.1 °C | 0.9 °C | 1.4 °C | 3 °C | 5.5 °C | 8.2 °C | 10.7 °C | 11.2 °C | 9.7 °C | 7 °C | 4.2 °C | 2.4 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 2.5 days | 1.6 days | 1.1 days | 0.7 days | 0.9 days | 1.1 days | 1.4 days | 1.5 days | 2.4 days | 4 days | 3.3 days | 3 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 8 pm | 7 am | 2 am | 8 am | 10 am | 8 am | 2 am | 2 am | 4 pm | 8 pm | 8 pm | 11 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 3.2 h | 5.5 h | 7.6 h | 10.3 h | 11.8 h | 12.1 h | 11.2 h | 10.4 h | 8.1 h | 5.6 h | 3.7 h | 2.6 h |
| Relative humidity | 78% | 78% | 79% | 80% | 83% | 86% | 88% | 86% | 83% | 80% | 78% | 78% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 5.5 µg/m³ | 6.3 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | 7.9 µg/m³ | 7.5 µg/m³ | 7.8 µg/m³ | 6.8 µg/m³ | 5.6 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 8.5 µg/m³ | 9.9 µg/m³ | 10.6 µg/m³ | 12.8 µg/m³ | 13.9 µg/m³ | 12.6 µg/m³ | 10.8 µg/m³ | 10.7 µg/m³ | 11.3 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 8.3 µg/m³ | 7.6 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- Heart of Neolithic Orkney
15 km away