Drier weather makes spring an excellent time to explore Edinburgh’s lively streets (and bonus: no umbrella juggling). Even better? The summertime masses haven’t rolled up yet, so you’ll still have plenty of elbow room at top sites.

Spring flowers begin to bloom, filling the city’s famed parks and gardens. It’s the perfect time of year to stroll through Princes Street Gardens or the Royal Botanic Garden. Edinburgh. If you time your visit right, you’ll also catch the stunning yellow carpets of gorse that take over the hillside of Arthur’s Seat.

Hit up Edinburgh Castle and the National Museum of Scotland. The two most popular attractions in Edinburgh will be far less crowded this time of year.

Get a taste for local life in Brockton and Morningside, and meander in and out of their indie boutiques, cafés, and vintage stores.

Yes, the Edinburgh rain is back, so dig out that umbrella—you’ll need your wet-weather gear. But travelers don’t seem to mind these water-logged days, judging by the packed hotels and mobbed attractions. Still, if you’re after big-city buzz, this is the season for you.

Launch into planning mode if you want to visit Edinburgh’s most famous sights, like the Edinburgh Castle. Online bookings for top attractions are a must, or you’ll risk being shut out by the swarms of summertime visitors.

August brings the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a weeks-long riot of music, theater, and comedy that’s a huge event on the global cultural calendar.

More traditional theater and performing arts are also on display during August at the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Arts Festival.

There’s plenty to celebrate during the fall, from the city’s decades-old Scottish International Storytelling Festival to the winter wonderland that emerges in November at the Princes Street Garden. And as a bonus, traveling off-peak season means bargain-hunters are in luck: Seasonal discounts are in effect and fellow travelers are relatively few.

Get your cameras ready: Fall foliage is on full display at Princes Street Garden, The Meadows, and Holyrood Park.

Hauntings are big business in Edinburgh, and there’s no better time to get spooked than October. Book one of the city’s many ghost tours or post up for the Samhain Fire Festival, which has its roots in ancient Gaelic traditions.

Think festival season ends with the summer in Edinburgh? Think again. The Edinburgh International Storytelling Festival takes over town in October and is the largest celebration of its kind in the world.