Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE WEATHER
“There's no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing”, the poet laureate Ted Hughes
is alleged to have said when asked why he liked holidaying on Scotland's west coast. For those
who don't share Hughes' attitude, the
weather
is probably the single biggest factor to put you
off visiting Scotland. It's not that it's always bad, it's just that it is
unpredictable
: you could just
as easily enjoy a week of fabulous sunshine in early April while the rest of the UK was sodden as
suffer a week of low-lying fog and drizzle in high summer.
No surprise then that six of the ten wettest counties in the UK are here. The reason is
location: almost every
low pressure system
that barrels east out of the North Atlantic passes
over Scotland, often forced north by the Azores' high pressure system. The good news is that
such systems tend to blow over rapidly. Out in the islands, they say you can get all four seasons
in a day. And even if the weather's not necessarily good, it's generally interesting - often
exhilarating or dramatic, and certainly photogenic. And when the
sun
finally comes out all is
forgiven. A week spent in thick mist is transformed when the clouds lift to reveal a majestic
mountain range or a group of islands far offshore.
unpredictable, days are generally warm and, most importantly, long, with daylight
lingering until 9pm or till after 10pm further north.
August
in Edinburgh is Festival
time, which dominates everything in the city and means accommodation is hard to come
by. Elsewhere, events such as Highland Games, folk festivals or sporting events - most of
which take place in the summer months - can tie up accommodation, though normally
only in a fairly concentrated local area. If you're out and about in the countryside
throughout the summer, you won't be able to avoid the clouds of small biting
midges
,
which can be a real annoyance on still days, particularly around dusk.
May
and
September
throw up weather every bit as good as, if not better than, the
months of high summer. You're less likely to encounter crowds or struggle to find
somewhere to stay, and the mild temperatures combined with the changing colours of
nature mean both are great for outdoor activities, particularly hiking. he caveat is that
September is prime
stalking
season
for deer, which can affect access to some parts of the
Highlands for hiking, fishing or riding a mountain bike.
