Rome or Edinburgh?

I love both places, but at that time of year I would prefer Rome. It won't be as cold and there will be a bit more daylight. Some of Edinburgh's attractions such as Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Peak do involve spending some or all of your time there outdoors as well. Also being right on the Firth of Forth means that Edinburgh can get windy as well.

Rome and Edinburgh are real opposites so I would be honest with yourself what gives you most pleasure and then find those items in either city.
Both will be off season and relataively cheap early December and both can experience poor weather then.
Rome can be very wet in December, but come with an umbrella and be prepared to do a lot of walking would be my choice.
Edinburgh can be very cold especially with an icy wind and there is a real chance the weather will make the whole trip a disaster so I would go for Rome.

We have traveled to Rome in late November/early December and had a fine trip. The weather was moderate and we needed only light weight jackets. Crowds were low. We have not been to Edinburgh that time of year, but did travel there in August and nearly froze. If you don't care for winter weather, I'd think that Rome would be the better choice. Of course, weather is only one aspect to consider. Each city has someting different to offer.

We have also enjoyed London in the winter. There's a lot to do indoors there. If you would rather stay in the UK, maybe that's another option.

I LOVE Scotland in December! Yes- it may be a bit 'darker' sooner, but you can work around that. Edinburgh has a good Christmas Market. There are much shorter lines(or none) for things. Some of the sunsets/sunrises are absolutely beautiful that time of year.

We have even been to the Highlands in December. Got a small bit of snow in Inverness and Aviemore. It was lovely. Great fun to walk around Aviemore and watch kids sledding down the hill in front of the McDonald resort. Hubby got some great pics of the snow. Our friends took us on a drive and every thing was lovely. Sitting in the pub with a hot toddy (really good Scotch whisky and honey) and a piece of freashly baked shortbread with good company can't be beat.

I went to Rome in January, and it was wonderful. It did rain, but not so hard that it was a problem. Weather was very much like San Francisco in January (50-low 60s, mix of sun and damp). In fact, it was warmer in Rome than it was when I got back to SF. No line at the Vatican Museum... just walked in there and at other sites. Churches had their Christmas cribs still up, which was a treat. And the Christmas scene outside of St Peters was lovely at night, with the lights reflecting off wet pavement. If you plan on visiting small towns, much may be shut down: I took a day trip to Orvieto to see the cathedral; it was great having the cathedral to myself, but the town was largely closed in early Jan. I've not been to Edinburgh in Dec, but have been there in the fall. An amazingly beautiful old town, but really cold when I was there in late Sept.

I've been to both places, but not in winter. ; ) I think the advice to think about what you want to see and experience and then look at each location. Both do have historical interest. Edinburgh, is significantly smaller than Rome. So, you would have fewer sights to see, but you would find it easy to get around in Edinburgh. Is one of you a single malt fan? Or perhaps one of you likes Celtic music? Those factors might lean you more toward Edinburgh. If you're a devoted fan of art, then Rome may be the better choice. One other thing to consider as novice travelers is that in Edinburgh they do speak English which makes a first trip to Europe a bit easier.

Pam

Thank you all for the replies. Very helpful insights.
We plan to make a decision soon and will take your comments into consideration.

I had a professor who did a sabatical in Edinburgh over the Fall-Winter-Spring school year and said he didn't realize how cold and dark it would be. Look at the Latitude...it's basically Canada or Alaska Panhandle. If you like snow and Whisky go. Even though Edinburgh supposedly has 200000 population it seems very small. I think that Rome just offers more variety of things to do...besides all the Xmas stuff it might offer. Although that might make it harder to get reservations in Rome. You'd probably have no problem in Edinburgh. But be advised: a lot of the historic sites there might have short hours or even be closed for the winter, except for those right in town.

I just read on this site that New Year is super big deal in Edinburgh; so if you plan to be there then make early reservations.