Scotland Weather: Everything You Need To Know

Climate 

There is a popular saying about Scotland’s climate, “If you don’t like the weather wait for 5 minutes it will change”. Another interesting quote is “Every day has four seasons in Scotland”. Scotland has a similar climate as England but it is rather cloudier, slightly wetter and somewhat windier than England.

Due to the influence of the Atlantic ocean, Scotland sees a typical temperate maritime climate. The northern part of Scotland experiences lower temperatures than the southern part because of its higher elevations. Cairngorms National Park of Scotland sees more extreme climatic conditions like snowfall and blizzards on its higher altitudes.

As the western part is wetter than the eastern part of Scotland, we will look into two cities… Edinburgh from the eastern part and Glasgow from the west. Since the climate in Scotland is so unpredictable at times, it will be a good idea not to depend much on a forecast that you receive from an online source.

Temperature

Edinburgh and Glasgow have similar temperature patterns with comfortable day temperatures in winters and cold winter nights, and not so warm summers. Minimum temperature normally doesn’t dip to sub-zero level though.

Edinburgh

Winter (December to February) During this period day’s minimum temperature hovers between 1.3 degrees to 1.5 degrees C. Maximum day temperature ranges from 7.0 degrees to 7.5 degrees C. December sees the coldest winter nights of 1.3 degrees and February experiences the hottest winter days of 7.5 degrees.

Spring (March to May) Spring gets warmer than winter. The minimum day temperature in March is 2.8 which rises up to 6.8 degrees in May.  The maximum day temperature in March is 7.5 and in May 11.8 degrees C.

Summer (June to August) Summer is very comfortable in Edinburgh with maximum day temperature hovering around 17.2 (in June) and 19.1 degrees C (in July). Minimum day temperature ranges from 9.7 degrees to 11.5 degrees.

Autumn (September to November) First half of the autumn is warmer than spring. In September maximum day temperature is 16.5 degrees whereas in November 9.6 degrees.

Glasgow

Winter (December to February) During winter day’s minimum temperature hovers around 1 degree Celsius and the day’s maximum temperature ranges between 6 to 9 degrees C.

Spring (March to May) Spring gets warmer than winter. March sees a maximum day temperature of 8.8 and a minimum of 2.3 degrees C whereas May experiences a maximum of 15.1degree and a minimum of 6.5 in day temperatures.

Summer (June to August) Like Edinburgh summer in Glasgow is very comfortable with maximum day temperature hovering around 19 (in July) and 18 degrees C (in August). Minimum day temperature ranges from 9.4 degrees to 11.1 degrees during summer.

Autumn (September to November) Autumn is quite similar to spring. Autumn sees a steady fall in temperatures, in September maximum day temperature is 15.8 degrees whereas November sees a maximum day temperature of 8.7 degrees.

Refer to the weather charts below.

Sea Temperature

Like many other places, Scotland’s sea temperature is also influenced by the atmospheric conditions of an area. Often oceanic currents transmit heat to the shores, and this too affects sea temperatures. The water temperature of the North Sea is warmer during summer compared to the western coast, and this is just the opposite during winter.

Water temperatures on the east coast of Scotland vary from 6 to 8 degrees C during winter whereas the west coast sees a variation between 7 to 10 degrees in winters. The summer sea temperature of the North Sea (east coast) varies between 12 to 14 degrees. On the west coast summer temperature of the water ranges between 10 to 12 degrees.

Rainfall

Scotland receives heavier rainfall in comparison to England. The western part of Scotland is wetter than the eastern part as it receives more rain.

Autumn sees the highest rain in Edinburgh while spring receives the lowest rainfall. Maximum rainfall in a year happens in October… on average Edinburgh sees more than 75 mm rain in October over 13 rainy days. April sees the minimum rainfall of around 40 mm on 9 rainy days of the month. Winter receives moderate rainfall.

Glasgow experiences moderate to heavy rainfall throughout the year. Like Edinburgh, spring in Glasgow receives minimum and autumn receives maximum rains. The rainiest month is October with almost 130 mm rain in 17 days. The driest month is May with around 61 mm rain in 12 rainy days.

Glasgow sees 653.3 mm rain in autumn and winter with a monthly average of 108.9 mm. During these 6 months, it rains for almost 92 days. Around 471 mm rainfall takes place in Glasgow during spring and summer, and the number of rainy days during these 6 months is 79. The monthly average rainfall from March to August is around 78 mm.

See the chart below.

Humidity

The comfort level in Scotland is highest during late spring and early summers due to low humidity, the rest of the year might be muggy. In both cities, autumn and winter see the highest relative humidity. In Edinburgh, the maximum humidity in winter is 84% (both in January and December), in spring 81% (in March), in summer 80% (in August) and during autumn 83% (in November).

Glasgow experiences slightly more annual humidity than Edinburgh. The maximum humid months in Glasgow during winter are January and December with 86% humidity. The maximum humid month in spring is March with 79% and in summers is August with 77% humidity. Autumn sees a maximum humidity of 85% in the month of November.

See the chart below.

Sunny Days

Glasgow sees lesser sunny days than Edinburgh due to more frost and clouds. The highest sunshine hours in Edinburgh can be seen in the month of May (188 hours) and the lowest in the month of December (46 hours).

From November to February Edinburgh experiences a total of 249 sunshine hours with a monthly average of 62.25 hours and a daily average of only 2 hours. May to August see the maximum sun and during this time Edinburgh witnesses a total of 688 sunshine hours.

Glasgow receives the least sunshine hours from November to February. Only 185 hours of sunshine can be seen in these 120 days with a daily average of 1.5 hours. The month that receives the lowest sun rays is December with a total of only 33 sunshine hours. The sky of Glasgow remains sunnier from May to August. These four months receive a total of 613 hours of sunshine with a daily average of around 5 hours. The month that sees the most sunshine is May (173 sunny hours).

See the weather chart below.

Wind Speed

Scotland faces gustier winds than England. Although wind speed varies at different zones and elevations, the eastern part of the country is windier than the west. In Edinburgh, the maximum wind speed can be seen during spring. The average wind speed during this period is 20 KPH per month. The rest of the year experiences an average of 17 KPH wind varying across months. The average wind speed in Glasgow is 16 KPH with the maximum in the first three months of the year (18 KPH) and minimum during summer (around 14.5 KPH).

Snowfall

Normally Scottish lowlands do not receive heavy snowfall. In the highlands, the yearly snowfall is much more and is often accompanied by blizzards. Lowlands receive sleets/hailstorms and scattered snow during winter along with frozen waters in some places.

A yearly average of 30 days of snowfall can be seen in the western part of Scotland. It snows for over 100 days at the Grampians. Snow cover at the highest peak Ben Nevis stays for around 7 months a year.

Edinburgh Weather Chart

Glasgow Weather Chart

Best Time to Visit Scotland

Scotland is an amazing country with its ever-present castles, rich history, museums, brewing traditions and rich natural beauties, but its climatic character remains uncertain and unpredictable. From an overall analysis of the weather data, we can say the best time to visit Scotland is during late spring and early summer. Winter is too cold and wet, and autumn is extremely wet. However, at times a rainy week even in spring or summer could spoil the vacation; and on the other hand, you might even be gifted with a great sunny week during autumn. So take your chances and keep your fingers crossed with a hope of a great vacation in Scotland.

Travel Tips

While on your city trips or day trips, do not forget to carry an umbrella or a raincoat. Early morning sun can deceive you; do not get misguided and instead take your rain jacket with you since the weather changes dramatically in this country.

It might be a good idea to invest in a high-quality rain jacket than carrying an umbrella. Do take along appropriate shoes.

Weather highlights of Edinburgh

• Late spring and summer are the best time with pleasant average temperatures and light to moderate rainfall
• July is the warmest month
• December is the coolest month
• October is the dampest month
• April is the driest month

Weather highlights of Glasgow

• Late spring and early summer are the best time and usually have pleasant weather
• Autumn and winter receive heavy rains
• Keep yourself prepared for the sudden weather change
• May is the driest month
• October is the wettest month

 Also Read

• Amazing Scotland and its tourism