AbileneGram

Any recommendations about traveling in Ireland for about 4 days in October, then taking the RyanAir flight to Edinborough and stay there about 5 days? We are hoping to take as many Viator tour guided trips as we can each day. I would really appreciate any inside information from someone who has travelled there in October. (And has anyone used the RyanAir flights between Dublin and Edinborough?) thanks! (My husband and I are in our early 70's and have experience traveling in Europe, but have never been to Ireland, Scotland) -- we are especially wondering about clothing and recommendations as it seems the average weather in October there is about 50 degrees F with 60% chance of rain each day

elberko

Can't comment on weather, but instead of Viator (a reseller, they don't do tours themselves), consider Rabbies, a well reguarded small bus tour group.
https://www.rabbies.com/en

janisj

>> hoping to take as many Viator tour guided trips as we can each day<<

Why? Viator doesn't 'do' tours . . . they simply sell other people's tours.

Rabbies is a much better idea.

You cannot make <i>any</i> assumptions about the weather -- other than it won't be hot. It could be warm-ish, cool, downright frigid, dry, wet, light showers . . . and very likely all of the above.

It could be a bit wetter/slightly warmer in Ireland (or not)

ribeirasacra

Viator is part of Trip Advisor.
Weather? sorry crystal balls are broken on this forum we cannot predict that far ahead.
Ryanair? Just like Marmite either you love them or hate them.
Play by the rules and read the small print, of which there seems to be a lot of, you could well find it enjoyable.

Heimdall

It is true that no one has a crystal ball, but the UK Met Office has some wonderful maps and tables of average temperature, rainfall etc by month of the year. It includes only England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, but should give you an idea of what to expect in the Republic of Ireland too. I believe, like Scotland, the western coast of Ireland is the wettest.

The usual advice of dressing in layers is a good one, and Gore-Tex is your friend.

Click on this website and play around with it, especially the tab for "Averages maps":
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/

ribeirasacra

Exactly you have proved my point....average is just that. Expect higher or lower, by how much one needs a crystal ball.

historytraveler

Reminds me of the time last June while on a Rabbies trip through the Highlands. The weather had been mostly cloudy, cool and drippy for several days. While we were at the Quiraing, it was about 14 degrees, and it was raining horizontally. One of the passengers said that he had studied the weather history for the Highlands and June was suppose to be the sunniest month. My response was," Welcome to Scotland."

janisj

>> tables of average temperature, rainfall etc by month of the year.<< . . . which are totally useless.

I've been in Edinburgh in Augusts when the high was 84F (absolutely sweltering) and when the high was 48F.

The Average high is 64F

Heimdall

One of my Scots friends has a favourite saying: "When you can see the hills it's going to rain...when you can't see the hills it's already raining."

Yes, of course temperatures and rainfall deviate above or below an average (duh). The October 1987 storm aside, the Met Office provides useful information.

janisj

>>Yes, of course temperatures and rainfall deviate above or below an average (duh). The October 1987 storm aside, the Met Office provides useful information.<<

It isn't that they deviate . . . it is that they are almost never the 'average'. If someone had used those averages say last August (average high 65°F average low 54°F) and attended the Tattoo w/ a just a long sleeved shirt or light sweater . . . they would have frozen their butts off

Which is why 1) layers, 2) something water resistant, 3) good shoes, and 4) pray the weather is as good as the average . . .

BigRuss

Isn't there a 60% chance of rain every day in Scotland?

Where exactly is Edinborough? Only the Irish and English use extra letters to no real use (e.g., Youghal, Ireland is pronounced Yall; colour, harbour, etc., which the English dropped on the other members of the Commonwealth).

The Scots are comparatively parsimonious: the country's capital is in Edinburgh.

UK weather is predictably unpredictable.

"Good shoes" means comfortable for walking and waterproof - go to an outlet mall and get Timberlands or Merrills or similar.

dotheboyshall

"Average" is only useful if the reality is near the "average" for much of the time.

UK weather doesn't do "average" for more than a couple of days - at my location the max temperature was 9C 4 days ago, today it was 24C

janisj

>>UK weather doesn't do "average" for more than a couple of days<<

bingo dotheboyshall . . .