Rain, rain - go away!!!
 

New question - rain. We leave for Scotland in about 10 days and the forecast at weather.com calls for rain every day between now and when we go. Egads! Obviously, it could be dry and sunny when we arrive, but you'd need to be psychic to know for sure.

The question is, do we need goretex and sweaters for out in the islands/Highlands in late June? We're planning a fair amount of hiking, etc. Portree weather says 10-15(c) for a high - that's not too chilly but I don't want to guess wrong. I am balancing a Rick-Steves-esque packing intent with the need to not freeze. I am generally a 'cold' person. Any experiences with staying dry and warm without overpacking?

note to self and others: didn't get much off keywords 'rain' and 'raingear' but keying in 'Goretex' yielded some great threads (pun intended, I guess).

I have 3 things I really like - and they are easy to pack.

A great gortex coat (which is also fine to wear in wind with no rain), a very light weight Spider microfleece (I always have this on the plane - it's tiny, comfy, warm), and silk longjohns (I probably wouldn't take these to Scotland)...

Anyone <planning a fair amount of hiking> in Scotland at ANY time of the year would be foolish not to take Gore-tex (or other breathable waterproof) jacket and overtrousers.

On my recent visit to northern England and Dumfries and Galloway, I had both along with a polartec 100 pullover fleece. While I did not use the trousers or the fleece and only used the jacket for about 15 minutes, I still considered them essential items. Since you are going farther north, the only question I would have would be whether to replace the polartec 100 fleece with a 200 fleece.

My husband and I were in Scotland 3 weeks ago. Traveled to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Isle of Skye, etc. Temps were in the low 50's in the mornings and low 60's by afternoon. There were brief showers on/off during the day. Saw several beautiful rainbows. We took slacks, sweaters, comfortable walking shoes, travel sized umbrellas, and light weight raincoats.

You will love Scotland. The countryside is beautiful and the people are friendly. Have a great trip.

I was in Scotland last week and went to Shetland and Orkney. I took a jersey, but didn't wear it. The weather was variable and I got wet a couple of times, but we also had some beautifully sunny afternoons and evenings. If you're going hiking, prepare for anything, but for normal sightseeing, every town or village has at least one rain shelter, generally signposted "bar".

Here in North Yorkshire, England..... in the last few weeks it's been anywhere from mid 50's to 80 degrees with winds from 0 mph up to gusts of 20 mph. So yeah, it's safe to say the weather is (ahem) VARIABLE, lol.

For Scotland, I would think you should plan for warm and dry AND cool, rainy weather, especially if you will be hiking around a bit. I think julie_Colorado and ron have it right. Have a great time!

Yes, I always take my trusty Goretex when I go to Scotland. It's not too heavy and breathes. You'll also need a good pair of boots if you're doing a lot of walking and if you are fairly elderly like me, a good walking pole. I have a retractable one. You could buy one when you get there. I'd take a jumper or two (sweater US) but fairly light ones for that time of year. Talking of light, you will have very long hours of daylight at that time of year. Of course, you might find yourself in the middle of a heatwave. You just can't tell!