We believe that Scotland is a fantastic holiday destination at any time of the year, however in this article we want to encourage you to visit Scotland during the winter months. We're sure you'll have a great time. At Scotland, we fully believe that Scotland is the ideal holiday destination all year round. We will explain why it is worth visiting in winter.
If you want a winter break to sunbathe and warm, then Scotland is not the place for you. However, if that's the type of vacation you're looking for, it probably wouldn't even be your choice in the middle of summer!
If you'd like to spend a few days sightseeing, visiting ancient castles and beautiful scenery, then we believe you should strongly consider Scotland.
Weather in Scotland
Unlike many countries, our temperature does not change much from summer to winter. Yes, we have warm sunny days in the summer that can reach around 25 °C and freezing, snowy days in the winter that drop down to -2 °C. Cooler temperatures can be found in the mountains and valleys of northern Scotland. The truth is that lowland areas don't get snow every year, so you have to go to the mountains of the Scottish Highlands to find snow. Weather statistics tell us that the average temperature in Edinburgh in January is 7 °C and July 19 °C. This means that if you're visiting Scotland in winter, you'll need sweaters and a jacket. If you're planning to travel to the Scottish Highlands and spend some time outdoors, then a hat and gloves will also do, but you don't need to dress for an arctic expedition. In fact, if you live in a warm country and are visiting in the summer, you'll probably need a sweater and a light jacket for cooler days.
Traveling around Scotland in winter
The Hairy Coo run many of their fun bus tours around Scotland throughout the winter. The tours are exactly the same as in the summer, except you'll visit places like Stirling Castle, the Q u Ira ING on Skye and take part in a whiskey tasting, it'll be a bit more relaxed. This means you can get great photos without lots of people ruining the view. If you are lucky, and it snows on the mountains, you can get amazing views with blue sky and white mountains. We can never promise what the weather will be like in Scotland at any time of the year, so if you're prepared you'll be able to enjoy a day out.
Another great advantage of a winter tour is that there will be no midges. Midges are tiny fly-like insects that bite but are in no way dangerous. They are very annoying and are often found in the north and west of Scotland during the summer months. They love calm, warm and humid days. So in winter you will be able to enjoy the delights of Skye without midges or thousands of other tourists.
Summer in Scotland means long days and very short nights. This means that on winter tours, you will be leaving and arriving back in Edinburgh in the dark. This is not bad news because you can see an amazing sunrise and sunset.
Furry Coo
All the Scottish guides at The Hairy Coo love Scotland, whatever the weather or season. They are happy to welcome you on one of their tours to Scotland at any time of the year and will do their best to leave our little country wanting to come back again.
Edinburgh is also a great city to visit in winter, so we recommend leaving some time before or after your Highlands tour to walk around the old town, visit Edinburgh Castle and enjoy some time in our restaurants and bars.
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