Edinburgh Travel Risk — Moderate Risk (30/100)
Is Edinburgh safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Edinburgh scores 30/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates United Kingdom Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 9 Sep 2026); Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Government advisory (score 12)
Crime (score 22)
September 27, 2026
Edinburgh, United Kingdom has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 30 out of 100 (moderate risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is crime at 22/100; the lowest-rated category is government advisory at 12/100; last updated September 27, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the United Kingdom travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Edinburgh to visit in 2026?
Edinburgh currently sits at 30/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the moderate-risk tier. Most travelers will be fine with normal precautions, but a few categories below score high enough that planning matters. The highest-rated risk category for Edinburgh is crime (22/100), and the lowest is government advisory (12/100). This page was last updated on September 27, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (35/100) and health and medical access (45/100).
A score of 30 is higher than the scores of 32% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Edinburgh currently has a baseline composite risk score of 30 out of 100, indicating moderate risk. Travelers should consult the US State Department Level 2 advisory and the CDC Level 1 Global Dengue health notice for up-to-date guidance.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 09:34 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Environmental quality (score 22/100): Check air-quality forecasts. If sensitive, pack a mask and adjust outdoor activity. Hydration is critical in heat.
- Crime (score 22/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Edinburgh
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Daytime transit and exploration in central areas are generally safe and routine. Standard alertness in crowded transit hubs and tourist plazas is adequate.
After dark, keep to well-illuminated thoroughfares and busy dining/entertainment quarters. Use verified taxis or rideshare apps when returning late.
Safety by Traveler Type in Edinburgh
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Edinburgh for solo travelers (Crime 22/100 · Transport 18/100), women traveling solo (Crime 22/100), families with children (Health 15/100 · Natural disaster 12/100), older travelers (Health 15/100 · Transport 18/100), business travelers (Digital 22/100 · Money 15/100 · Transport 18/100) and lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 12/100 · Political 18/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Editorial baseline 2026-05-14 (round 2: Numbeo + WHO + State Dept + GPI + EPI references)
Quick facts
| Hospital access | high |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | medium |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | high |
| Tourist scam risk | low |
| Night safety | high |
| Last updated | September 27, 2026 |
Live conditions in Edinburgh
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Official travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
United Kingdom - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Natural hazard calendar & history
No GDACS or USGS events recorded within 100 km in the past five years.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the United Kingdom travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the United Kingdom entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-16 07:26:45 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Edinburgh
The most weather-stable two-month window for Edinburgh is July–August, when typical daily temperatures run from about 12°C to 18°C and monthly rain averages 69 mm.
No threshold-level heat, cold, wind, or cyclone flag appears in the stored normals; January is the wettest typical month at about 77 mm.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 9, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Emergency numbers (United Kingdom)
| Police | 999 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 999 |
| Fire | 999 |
| General | 112 |
Nearest embassies & consulates
Find your home country's diplomatic mission in United Kingdom for consular support, lost passports, or citizen emergencies:
Run a personalized assessment for Edinburgh
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | 17 → 30 | low → moderate | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| May 15, 2026 | — → 17 | low | Data update Editorial baseline 2026-05-14 (round 2: Numbeo + WHO + State Dept + GPI + EPI references) |
Every editorial change to Edinburgh's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Edinburgh
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Edinburgh, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Specific medical-access detail (hospital list, embassy clinic).
- Documented scam patterns for this city.
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
- Neighborhood-level guidance.
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.