weather and packing for Scotland in May

Old Dec 28th, 2013, 05:03 PM
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weather and packing for Scotland in May

Hello:
My husband and I are headed to Scotland for a two week self guided car trip in May 2014. We will arrive in Edinburgh May 5th. We are headed north to Elgin and Inverness, then over to Isle of Skye, down to Oban then back to Edinburgh. Any suggestions on what type of things to pack? We try to pack light when we travel and we are going to be in Europe for a total of 3 and 1/2 weeks, so I don't want to have to pack a lot of winter outerwear, scarves, gloves, boots et cetera if we are not going to need it. We will not be doing a lot of hiking, we will be more exploring and castle touring.

Thanks for your thoughts.
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Old Dec 28th, 2013, 05:54 PM
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Enter into google " Scotland weather in MAy" It will give you many websites for more details. (The one from Lonely Planet also tells what will be in bloom in May.

Basically they all said weather in May is in the fifties(F). So my take would be to carry layers, perhaps a rainjacket with fleece underneath with turtle neck or long sleeved tshirt. I would definitely have two pairs of comfortable walking shoes so that one can be worn while the other is drying out. Have some kind of thin glove. I like those cheap one size fits all yarn gloves that places like KMArt sell. They roll up well in a pocket. For me just pulling up the hood of the outerwear is fine. If you want a hat check the shops and you'll have a nice souvenir as well (and you may not need it.
end up with a souvenir.

there are others here who may chime in with much better advice.
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Old Dec 28th, 2013, 06:05 PM
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Hi Howard0921, we went to Edinburgh, with a fling through the lower highlands in late May some years back - beautiful country. But I was surprised by how chilly it was! We are not the outdoorsy types and I found the winds at Edinburgh Castle truly chilling.

Our hotel manager in lovely Pitlochery said, "You must come back when we put our flowers out." I had noticed that there were not the lovely hanging baskets one usually sees in the British Isles. In any case, you should have a great time - enjoy.
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Old Dec 28th, 2013, 07:28 PM
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You have absolutely no way of knowing what the weather will be. What you need to do is think layers instead of heavy/warm individual garments. A t shirt and cardigan will be as warm as a heavy sweater.

It can be warm, dry, wet, cool, downright cold - all on the same day.
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Old Dec 28th, 2013, 11:28 PM
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Basically they all said weather in May is in the fifties(F).

No they don't, they say temperatue in May AVERAGES in the 50s. Based on figures from the last 60 years in southern Scotland the AVERAGE temperature for the month could be anything between 50F & 70F, for Northern Scotland expect 5F lower. Rainfall AVERAGE varied between 4" & 10" in a similar period.

Monthly averages however do not tell you what it will be like on any given day as if the temperatures on successive days was 32F & 72F the average would be the same as if both days were 52F. Nor do they tell you the difference between the start and end of month

For the OP - UK weather is variable, even over distances of a few miles. You'll probably need rain gear, you'll probably need hat and gloves, you probably need a fleece, you'll probably need shorts, it's unlikely you'll need snow gear.

In short, like a good golfer, pack a range of options. At worst & get caught out you can always buy something in the UK
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 03:11 AM
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We were there last May and it was pleasantly mild. I needed a Lightweight jacket and although I had a pair of light woollen gloves and a hat, I didn't need them. I don't know where you are from, but a waterproof jacket and layers will be a good idea. One year, I needed waterproof over-trousers but that was unusual. Comfortable walking shoes are essential, but I'd leave the shorts at home
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 03:27 AM
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A windproof jacket is the key. If you just have a waterproof one which doesn't allow moisture to escape, you can end up uncomfortably clammy. It's unlikely to be cold enough for a hat and gloves but it will be the wind that gets you. Unless it's unseasonably cold, I'd wear a waterproof, windproof, breathable jacket and a choice of short and long sleeved tops to accommodate temperatures between 12 and 20 degrees.
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 04:56 AM
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It all depends on where you are from and how you handle varied weather. " you are unlikely to need a hat and gloves" absolutely does not apply to my wife.

Many Americans are colder indoors than out in some cottages and B&B's because of differing views on what constitutes "warm" or heat that automatically goes off during the day.

We have had 40F in Glen Coe in August, complete with horizontal rain and a gale, Our son had sunny, 72 F in May. Layers and rain gear.

And you may well need them on the Continent: we had sleet in Paris on May 30 this year. Unusual? Yes, but obviously not impossible.
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 05:15 AM
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When I worked in America, we constantly turned down the thermostat outside our flat from 80f only for the neighbours to turn it up again.

In the Summer I kept a warm cardigan at work because the air conditioning was almost down to freezing.

Anyway, i always take a goretex jacket to Scotland and vary what I wear under it. I also have a pair of very light goretex boots. They keep you dry outside and stop you getting clammy
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 06:01 AM
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You don't need winter wear. But you do need to know that it could be upper 40s, raining and windy (we got that in July after having come from London where it was HOT - about 85). But we were OK with several layers - tee, turtleneck, sweater and hooded rain jacket (that I take on every extended euro trip - except southern Spain).

If you are going to be hiking or a lot of countryside make sure you have waterproofed comfy walking shoes.
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 09:02 AM
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If you don't allow the weather to seriously affect your plans, you will need a waterproof jacket. Almost all waterproof clothing is comfortably breathable. I wouldn't think of going to the UK without a rain jacket. If you want take a light weight (water repellent) jacket-- the kind you can easily fold up for lighter showers and some wind- proofing. Again it's all about layering.
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 01:12 PM
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anecdotes about what someone encountered one visit and what someone else encountered another honestly do not tell you anything useful much (except that anything is possible on any given day)

I have been in all parts if Scotland during every month of the year (except I think February - I can't recall a Feb visit). alanRow's posts explains some of the variables. One May you might have 70F (which may seem warmer than 70F back home) and the same date the next year . . . 45F
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 01:58 PM
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Yes, it's long been one of my pet peeves-- those who claim it was very warm, cold, windy, sunny or rained cats and dogs when they were there (wherever, whenever). It can be all of those almost any month of the year even any week of the year. In fact sometimes you can experience most of those weather options in a single day.

A clothing item I've found indispensable is Royal Robbins ( there are probably other brands too) water repellent pants. I wear them daily as they work well for general sightseeing, hiking and I can dress them up with a nice long sleeved T-shirt and scarf or sweater and they look great for just about any dining venue. Plus they can be easily washed in sink and they'll dry overnight.
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 02:41 PM
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I stand corrected on my info on temps in May. Sorry for the misinformation.
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 02:46 PM
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We are from Houston, where the spring can be flooding rains or complete drought, (rarely cold though). We will go with the layers and I will look for rain jackets. The gortex is a good idea. I think it is both rain and wind resistant. Thanks for all the advise.
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 02:51 PM
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I think the fact that you can get almost anything IS the point.

If you visit NYC in summer you will NOT get 40s, rain and wind. You will most likely get 80s - but can be 70s or 9- - and may get afternoon T'storms. And in winter you will get cold and quite possibly snow or ice - and not weather in the 80s.

As long as you have multiple layers and accept the uncertainty - you should be fine.
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 03:18 PM
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We were in Scotland last May and it was cold-ish. My travel raincoat, a scarf and a lightweight fleece jacket worn under the raincoat sufficed. It rained on most days but never rained a lot or for long periods. As janis---wisely--states above, this is not really useful, in the sense of being generalizable, it is just what happened to be the weather in the particular May when we were there…..

I was prepared, in the sense that if it was really cold, I could wear the fleece under my coat and if it was warmer on certain days, I could dispense with the fleece. I love this fleece as it is super lightweight and can actually be compressed into a regular food storage size of a ziploc bag. It is so comfy that it can be worn indoors w/o feeling like you have your coat on inside. It was recommended on here by another Fodorite, and at that time I lived close to an LLB retail outlet and I ran right over and bought one. Since then I have given it as gifts to several people who have also loved it….not windproof itself, but perfect under my windproof raincoat.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/53635...-fleece-jacket
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 03:39 PM
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Thanks socialworker. I just ordered the jacket. Will see if the hubby wants something similar.
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Old Dec 29th, 2013, 03:44 PM
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Fleece is a good idea for you and husband. Tshirt, fleece, waterproof jacket is the ideal trifecta.
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Old Dec 31st, 2016, 11:04 AM
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Enjoyed reading all of this! Going to order that fleece!
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