A Guide to Weather in Scotland

Scotland’s weather is a whole other topic of conversation that typically comes up in everyday chat at least once or twice. Our weather can be unpredictable and changes so often that you may well experience all four seasons in one day, but it’s unlikely. The best advice we can give you is: be prepared!

Scottish weather is often mild, with a moderate chance of rain, but that never stops us from making the most of the day, no matter what the weather throws at us. From windy walks on the beach or sunny bike rides on woodland trails, to gorge walking in the drizzle or skiing and snowboarding on real snow – there’s plenty you can do come rain or shine (or even snow!).

Scotland forms the top of the small, northerly island of the United Kingdom, meaning no matter where you decide to visit, you won’t be far from a glorious beach or seaside location. This also means we have the exposure of the arctic air off the North Sea, as well as the warm swells of the Gulf Steam. However, these balance each other out, giving Scotland a temperate maritime climate for a large part of the year.

There are a few things to remember to bring with you to make sure your time in Scotland is enjoyable and memorable:

- The right clothing! There’s nothing worse than being stuck outdoors without the right jacket or pair of shoes for the terrain or landscape you’re on.
- An umbrella always comes in handy for those unexpected showers.
- Sunglasses may be needed for those glorious days of sunshine… yes, we do see the sun in Scotland!
- Remember to layer up. Bring plenty of t-shirts and a snug jumper, or why not buy a knitted jumper made of Scottish wool while you’re here?

Scotland’s varied weather benefits a lot outdoor pursuits, activities and sightseeing opportunities across the country. Our long summer days mean you have more daylight to explore Scotland’s landscape and the further north you go the more daylight you get, so this is a great time to explore the Highlands and northern corners of Scotland.

With the strong, steady currents, the Atlantic and North seas can produce some of the best surfing conditions in Europe. There are miles of picturesque coastline that provide the perfect location to try your hand at surfing, or a range of other watersports too.

See more from VisitScotland:

[danielmontaigne]

In Glasgow there are three types of weather
It’s raining
It’s just rained
It’s just about to rain

[jamesohara]

Up north the local worthies will tell ye, '''if ye kin see across the loch it going to rain, if ye canny see across the loch, its rainin'''.

[stormaurora]

I have just moved to the northern Highlands from Wales and I have to say that this country is the most beautiful and amazing place in the whole of the UK. Weather is exciting and the changing scenery and black skies are beyond beautiful. I've fallen for Scotland in a big way. Visit soon and I'm sure you will too.

[TheKiltedCoaches]

The rain is the reason our country is so beautiful.

[alliona]

The weather is really not extreme, it just rains a lot! It can be little or heavy, mostly it’s just spiting. But the weather changes hour by hour so you really just have to prepare for anything but it also means that it won’t be raining for the whole day so usually you can get a couple of hours of dryness. Rain usually stops by midday, it’s more common in the morning and at night.
In the winter it can get quite cold, which is due to the heavy winds we get. But all you really need is a jumper and jacket. Gloves are also really handy as your fingers and face as the ones getting exposed, so if they are covered you should be fine! If it’s an especially windy day, then wrap up good! It can look a pleasant day outside from the window until the wind hits you! Honestly the temperature in winter rarely dips below freezing, it stays around 0 C/ 32 F but the winds made it feel around two degrees cooler. You can find some mad locals just wearing t-shirts or shorts in this weather so the weather isn’t too extreme.
In summer it actually can get quite hot (for a Scot) and due to climate change we’re having more heatwaves than ever before! Heatwaves can be a killer as all our houses are designed to keep heat in and hardly any places have an AC. The temperature can get up to 33 C/ 91 F. The real killer is the humidity tho! The UK as a whole gets horrible levels of humidity that make the air literally stick to you and there is no wind to help circulate the heat, I’ve been to Australia and Florida during their summer seasons and even tho the temperature was higher than I’ve ever experienced it was more bearable than back home! If your coming from a very hot climate you might be used to it but all us Brits die in this weather 🤣

So yeah that’s our weather, we can experience snow in like January/February time but it’s hardly what anyone calls a lot but if it is more on the heavy side our nation goes into emergency mode and everything closes lol
Spring doesn’t exist it’s just a longer winter. Basically the weather we experience the most is autumnal as it’s just slightly cold, rainy and windy most of the time.

[nancypoidomani]

The weather in Scotland sounds so refreshing.

[yesemitesam]

These last few years the weather has been weird. I live in Caithness (the very far north of the Scottish mainland @ 58ºN) and late winter 2018/19 was so mild people began mowing their lawns in February: normally it would be around April before they had to. Summer 2018 was long, hot and sunny whereas summer 2019 was a Tuesday, I think.

[tinkabell]

Highlands knitwear from Scotland is bae and the best

[LEJapproach]

When I tell people I love Scotland as a holiday destination, I'm almost certainly asked "Doesn't it rain a lot there?" and my usual answer to that is "Yes, so what?". As long as you have some protective clothing with you, it'll take you two days at most and you'll be all Scottish about it ;-)

And: It only rarely rains for a whole day. Instead you get a mix of rain and dry weather and there's nothing better than the sun coming out after a bit of rain, illuminating Scotland's beautiful scenery!

[dennisdec]

Billy Connolly is definitely right saying "There's no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes!", my favorite punchline.

[MalvaNails]

this channel pop up at the perfect timing for me since I am moving to Edinbrugh!( From spain)

[merenwen_kiltæsir]

Last year I did 10 days in Scotland... End of September... 300£ worth of waterproof clothes and shoes... it did not rain once single day... very disappointed 😢 best holiday ever!

[DesmondsDonders]

We were once told by a neighbour in the West that it only rains for 9 months of the year. The other three it drips off the trees ;-) Love our weather and would never change it :-)

[mandystory]

This make me love Scotland so much more. One day I will go there. We don't her much rain in the high desert of Albuquerque. We treat rain like a miracle.

[DragonLuver]

OMG! I miss Scotland!😢 I so want to move there!

[vinimysore]

Amazed by the positivity mixed with humor in the narration!

[ghostmaster]

I might come to Scotland to study for my masters, it's just so beautiful and I can't wait! ❤️ From India

[Celtic_Amy]

I love Scotland... I would not recommend taking an umbrella it is too windy. You do get some of the effects of tropical cyclones, not the full force hurricane conditions. In June 2018 the winds were so strong on the Isle of Skye it almost knocked me over. You also have to keep in mind that Glasgow, Inverness, and Edinburgh are on the coat. If you get inland especially those areas in higher elevations your weather is colder, but yet you are very likely to experience all seasons in one day.

[whitefeinberg]

Always rain, dark and cold is the perfect weather to stay at home. Rain keeps the cities green and clean. That type of destination is good to visit as a tourist or to spend a few months and learn about other cultures. I want to go to Edinburg after this ridiculous pandemic.

[pawshands]

The Scottish weather is just fine by me. Better than the extremes of the northeast U.S..