Best time of year to visit Scotland

[CBH]

My wife and I went on our first European vacation last summer.

Scotland is the next bucket-list location we want to visit. Since we have several active members in the forum who live in Scotland, I figured this would be a great source of reliable info.

The cruise we wanted only sailed in early August, so that's when we were there. That was a huge mistake. First, it was hotter in Rome last summer than it was in Texas - over 100F (38-40+C) the entire time we were there. The difference between Rome and home is air conditioning - its freezing inside in Texas summers, but not in Rome......... Plus everything was ridiculously crowded.

There are an overwhelming number of choices of guided tours of Scotland. But there are several specific things I want to do that no single trip offers.

So what would be the best month to visit ?

My research so far shows that we have almost zero likelihood of melting like we did last time. I honestly had no idea it was always that cold in Scotland year round.

I've read midges (small flying bugs) are annoying and prominent in summer. Are they really everywhere ? Is it really something to plan around to avoid ?

So the balance seems to be temperature vs crowds (and bugs ?).

Is there a happy medium ?

[spr0k3t]

This may help you decide depending on your likes/wants/needs: https://www.scotland.org/about-scotland/weather

Just one thing I learned... it's wetter than Seattle, WA. There's almost always a chance of rain daily. What I learned is APR and MAY tend to be the months with the least amount of rain. Chances are, touristy places will be packed those months.

[CBH]

I saw one web site state that Glascow got an average of 22" per year of rain. I live in a desert, and we average 33", so I knew that was bonkers. I then found a site that stated an average of 66" per year, which sounded much more accurate.

I expected Summer - June - Aug - would be most crowded with kids being out of school. Others have told me most kids in Europe are still in school thru June, so that would be warmer, yet still not overly crowded. Anxious to get opinions/observances on this one.

One thing I found at a couple of notable golf courses near Inverness, was stay-and-play deals (common at most resorts in the USA) were only offered in April and October. Nothing in between could be arranged as a package deal including golf and hotel.

My wife is extremely cold natured, so that is a factor too. She will likely still be freezing on Scotland's warmest day of the year. I assured her we would invest in some locally made wool products and keep the cold at bay.

[figheadair]

I do a lot of walking/climbing in a Scotland. Late Apr - mid- May and mid- September - early October tend to be good stable periods wi5h great air quality.

Bear in mind that the West coat of Britain, including a Scotland was originally temperate rain forest. Much of the woodland has been lost but the Atlantic iand predominant south westerly winds are still there. By contrast, the central Highlands and Eeast side of the country are dryer. Don't let that put you off visiting the west, catch the weather and there's nowhere like it.

[Jock Scot]

I do a lot of walking/climbing in a Scotland. Late Apr - mid- May and mid- September - early October tend to be good stable periods wi5h great air quality.

Bear in mind that the West coat of Britain, including a Scotland was originally temperate rain forest. Much of the woodland has been lost but the Atlantic iand predominant south westerly winds are still there. By contrast, the central Highlands and Eeast side of the country are dryer. Don't let that put you off visiting the west, catch the weather and there's nowhere like it.

Quite agree, but..........

We can get very crowded in "Tourist Time"(April to October).I have to be honest here. Scotland and its sights/hotels/roads are very crowded and some would say "too crowded" at times. Even this last week some friends of mine had difficulty booking rooms-----they would have been welcome to stay with us( a private house) but we were full to the brim with my sons and assorted friends who were up deerstalking............
Anyway Why? The very busy accommodation trade are in the midst of their essential "make do and mend" period. Sadly the roads are not getting much attention either, well, not where I have travelled recently. Hey-Ho, its ever thus!

The scenery that is constantly changing throughout the year, will be wonderful sight whatever time you come and visit. BEWARE of the sun! From about April to September our sun can and does burn the unwary. Why? Apparently with our lack of air pollution and long bright days the sun can be dangerous. Yes, yes I know! It always rains in Scotland! Well, not always!

[Tomo]

According to Billy Connelly there are two seasons in Scotland - Winter and June...

I have run tours to Scotland for the last 10 years or so. We tend to go in June and July, mainly for the longer days rather than the weather - but I also regularly go in February, March and November when the Rugby is on and have never had any issues with the weather being bad enough to prevent me from doing other things.

Spring and Autumn can also be glorious - and places are often much less crowded than in peak season.

The weather is of course unpredictable and changeable - long range forecasts are a waste of time. I tend to recommend my guests to plan on it raining at some stage - so layers, a waterproof jacket and shoes are a must - esp. if you plan on heading out of the cities.

I did a month long trip in the summer of of 2018 with the wife and kids (seeing how some of the ideas to our future tours would work on the ground). It hadn't rained in Scotland for 6 weeks before we went and there where wildfires on Skye just before we arrived. The weather on our first 2 days was lovely, it then rained pretty much non-stop for the next 10 days or so - but was then up to about 32C when we were in Glasgow.

Basically, any time is fine and you cannot guarantee what the weather will be like. If you want to avoid the crowds then perhaps give June, July and August a miss (Edinburgh is especially busy in August with the Fringe and the Tattoo) - unless there are specific events that you want to go to (e.g. most Highland games are at that time).

It's also good idea to book your accommodation well in advance - and car hire and train tickets are often a lot cheaper if booked early.

I you want to see castles and like - check out the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland websites. Both offer various passes and membership card which can save you a significant amount on entrance fees and parking.

[kiltedsawyer]

My wife and I spent the last two weeks of May in Scotland two years ago and the weather couldn't have been better. It rained a little, (on our trip to Skye it rained most all day on the way there,) but still lots of sunshine and mild temperatures and no midgies. As for tours, I can recommedn Rabbies. Small groups, friendly and knowledgable guides. We hope to return in another year or so.

Cheers,

David

[CBH]

Thanks for the tips.

Hopefully I have plenty of lead time for a trip in 2026.

Looks like Spring or Fall is the consensus. Agreed that a little cool weather is far better than fighting (bigger) crowds.

I hope to see the big cities, play golf, and visit Islay to tour Lagavulin and Ardbeg's distilleries. Apparently it takes half a day just to get there, so that will consume a day or two on its own.

Cragganmore in Speyside is another must-see distillery for me. Those are the three I share with friends and family on occasion.

Any other recommendations ?

[jsrnephdoc]

Thanks for the tips.

Looks like Spring or Fall is the consensus. Agreed that a little cool weather is far better than fighting (bigger) crowds.

I hope to see the big cities, play golf, and visit Islay to tour Lagavulin and Ardbeg's distilleries. Apparently it takes half a day just to get there, so that will consume a day or two on its own.

Cragganmore in Speyside is another must-see distillery for me. Those are the three I share with friends and family on occasion.

Any other recommendations ?

I disagree about August. Yes, it's busy, but not NYC busy. I was able to put my nose 2 feet away from the Stone of Scone at the Edinburgh Castle, and I suspect that if/when I go back it will be in August, because the Royal Military Tattoo is spectacular (I'd suggest trying to go during it's second week, because when we were there for the first weekend in 2023, the light shows were not as cool as later in the run (based on You Tube videos I've watched since returning home), and with organizations from all over the world participating, I suspect there's still a bit of "beta testing" in the first few performances.

We did a self-drive tour. We were plunked into a HUGE Mercedes SUV, and many of the rural roads in Scotland are barely wider than paved sheep's paths. We blew a tire hitting a rock at one of the little aneurysms in those tiny roads the Scots call "passing places." The narrow roads also meant we arrived at Glennlivet an hour late, so we had a very nice tasting flight session but lost our chance at a tour. Among the things I really liked in Edinburgh was a self-guided tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia, and it's just a few blocks away from the Kinloch Anderson clothier. The only escorted tour we did was a small bus trip from Inverness out to Skye, but it lasted all day and we did some of the same pavement on our own getting to Ft. William from Inverness. We also went to the Scottish Borders, where one of the real treats was a tour of Lochcarron Mills in Selkirk. Although we had two nights in Glasgow, we didn't see much there because the World Cycling Championships were on, and that caused us a great deal of inconvenience (trying to park in center city).

We also went to Culloden; the museum is VERY good