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


Annual weather in Scotland

For information about the climate and the weather city by city in Scotland for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:

January 29°F to 47°F
1 to 17 days*
February 29°F to 47°F
1 to 14 days*
March 31°F to 49°F
1 to 14 days*
April 36°F to 52°F
1 to 8 days*
May 38°F to 58°F
2 to 10 days*
June 43°F to 63°F
2 to 10 days*
July 47°F to 65°F
3 to 12 days*
August 47°F to 65°F
3 to 15 days*
September 45°F to 61°F
2 to 14 days*
October 40°F to 56°F
2 to 16 days*
November 34°F to 52°F
2 to 15 days*
December 32°F to 49°F
1 to 16 days*
* weather varies across the country

Best time to travel to Scotland by cities

Chargement en cours
Edinburgh

Edinburgh

The best months to go to Edinburgh are may, june, july, august, september and october.

Aberdeen

Aberdeen

The best months to go to Aberdeen are july and august.

Glasgow

Glasgow

The best months to go to Glasgow are may, june, july, august and september.

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

Figure: Visitor index for Scotland month by month


Average price for flights to Scotland

A return flight between Dublin and Edinburgh is generally cheaper if you go in january ($ 46 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 17 more for your airline ticket to Edinburgh if you go in july.

Find the best price for your flight



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
Perth41°F43°F47°F52°F58°F61°F65°F65°F61°F54°F47°F43°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
Dundee41°F45°F49°F52°F58°F61°F65°F65°F61°F56°F49°F43°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
Glen Trool45°F45°F49°F52°F56°F59°F63°F63°F59°F56°F50°F49°F
Glencoe38°F38°F41°F47°F52°F58°F59°F58°F54°F49°F43°F40°F
Helmsdale43°F43°F47°F49°F52°F58°F59°F59°F58°F54°F49°F45°F
Isle of Mull43°F43°F47°F50°F56°F59°F61°F61°F59°F54°F49°F45°F
Isle of Whithorn47°F45°F47°F50°F54°F59°F63°F61°F59°F56°F52°F49°F
Kirkcudbright45°F45°F49°F52°F56°F61°F63°F63°F59°F56°F50°F47°F
Loch Awe43°F43°F47°F50°F56°F59°F61°F61°F59°F54°F49°F45°F
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park40°F40°F43°F49°F52°F58°F59°F58°F56°F49°F45°F41°F
Loch Maree43°F45°F47°F50°F54°F58°F59°F59°F58°F54°F49°F45°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, Perth, Applecross, Cairngorms National Park, Dundee, and 92 other cities.

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

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