When is the best time to go to Scotland?

When is the best time to go to Scotland? Here's some information to help you in your decision:

  • In Scotland, the weather is good across more than 30% of the territory for: July and August
  • The best months to go to Edinburgh are May, June, July, August, September and October
  • On average, the warmest months in Edinburgh are June, July and August, and the coldest months are January and February
  • The rainiest months in this city are June, July and August
  • The cities with the best climate are Burntisland, Cockenzie, Kirkcaldy, Monifieth and Prestonpans, with good weather at least 4 months a year


Where and when to go based on the weather?

Central Region
Stirling, Falkirk, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park...

May, June, July, August and September
52°F to 65°F°C
2 to 8 days
50°F to 59°F
January, February, March, April, October, November and December
40°F to 54°F°C
2 to 9 days
45°F to 58°F

East Coast of Scotland
Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee...

July and August
56°F to 65°F°C
3 to 10 days
58°F to 59°F
May, June and September
49°F to 63°F°C
2 to 8 days
49°F to 59°F
January, February, March, April, October, November and December
38°F to 56°F°C
1 to 11 days
45°F to 58°F

Highland
Inverness, Skye, Fort William...

June, July, August and September
54°F to 65°F°C
2 to 15 days
52°F to 58°F
January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December
38°F to 58°F°C
1 to 17 days
45°F to 56°F

Orkney Islands
Kirkwall...

July, August and September
58°F to 59°F°C
6 to 8 days
56°F to 58°F
January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December
47°F to 54°F°C
5 to 11 days
45°F to 56°F

Outer Hebrides
Stornoway...

June, July, August and September
58°F to 59°F°C
6 to 11 days
54°F to 58°F
January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December
47°F to 54°F°C
7 to 14 days
47°F to 56°F

Shetland Islands
Lerwick...

July, August and September
56°F to 59°F°C
3 to 9 days
56°F to 58°F
January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December
45°F to 54°F°C
2 to 13 days
47°F to 54°F

West Coast of Scotland
Glasgow, Dumfries, Isle of Mull...

May, June, July, August and September
54°F to 65°F°C
5 to 15 days
50°F to 61°F
January, February, March, April, October, November and December
41°F to 56°F°C
4 to 17 days
45°F to 59°F

Best time to travel to Scotland by cities

Chargement en cours
Central Region Central Region East Coast of Scotland East Coast of Scotland Highland Highland Orkney Islands Orkney Islands Outer Hebrides Outer Hebrides Shetland Islands Shetland Islands West Coast of Scotland West Coast of Scotland

See full list of cities


Temperatures and rainfall in Scotland

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Scotland and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness and Dumfries, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.


Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Scotland

Find out when Scotland has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.

Tourist seasons in Scotland

The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The number of visitors to Scotland is high in: May, June, July, August and September.

  • Very low season in Scotland: January, February and March.
  • Low season in Scotland: April, October, November and December.
  • High season in Scotland: May, June and September.
  • Peak season in Scotland: July and August.

Figure: Visitor index for Scotland month by month


Average price for flights to Scotland

A return flight between New York City and Edinburgh is generally cheaper if you go in january ($ 870 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 422 more for your airline ticket to Edinburgh if you go in july.

Find the best price for your flight Flight prices to Scotland




Where to go in Scotland?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities jan.feb.mar.apr.mayjun.jul.aug.sep.oct.nov.dec.
Edinburgh43°F45°F49°F52°F58°F63°F65°F65°F61°F56°F49°F45°F
Aberdeen43°F43°F47°F50°F54°F59°F63°F63°F59°F54°F49°F45°F
Glasgow43°F43°F47°F52°F58°F63°F65°F63°F59°F54°F49°F43°F
Inverness41°F43°F47°F52°F58°F61°F65°F63°F61°F54°F47°F41°F
Dumfries43°F45°F49°F52°F58°F63°F65°F63°F61°F56°F49°F45°F
Dundee41°F45°F49°F52°F58°F61°F65°F65°F61°F56°F49°F43°F
Falkirk41°F43°F49°F52°F58°F63°F65°F65°F61°F54°F47°F43°F
Fort William40°F41°F45°F50°F54°F59°F61°F61°F58°F52°F47°F41°F
Isle of Mull43°F43°F47°F50°F56°F59°F61°F61°F59°F54°F49°F45°F
Kirkwall47°F47°F47°F49°F50°F54°F58°F59°F58°F54°F50°F49°F
Lerwick47°F47°F47°F49°F50°F54°F58°F59°F58°F54°F50°F49°F
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park40°F40°F43°F49°F52°F58°F59°F58°F56°F49°F45°F41°F
Skye45°F45°F47°F50°F54°F58°F59°F59°F58°F54°F50°F47°F
Stirling41°F43°F47°F52°F58°F63°F65°F65°F61°F54°F47°F43°F
Stornoway47°F47°F47°F50°F52°F58°F59°F59°F58°F54°F50°F49°F
Applecross43°F43°F47°F50°F54°F58°F61°F61°F58°F54°F49°F45°F
Cairngorms National Park38°F38°F40°F45°F49°F54°F58°F56°F52°F47°F43°F40°F
Durness45°F45°F47°F49°F52°F56°F59°F59°F58°F54°F50°F47°F
Eyemouth45°F45°F47°F49°F54°F58°F61°F61°F59°F54°F50°F47°F
Fort Augustus38°F40°F45°F50°F56°F61°F63°F61°F58°F52°F45°F38°F

Legend:

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather


About Scotland

What can I do in Scotland?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife




Is this weather information for Scotland reliable?

Climate data for Scotland has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Scotland allows us to determine the average for each month in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness, Dumfries, Dundee, Falkirk, Fort William, and 92 other cities.

So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.

Change units