When I was on a Scotland road trip with my friends last summer, we had a running joke well-nigh how “ugly” it was. Every stop was just increasingly hideous than the last. Why would anyone want to visit Scotland in July?
Hopefully you can pick up the sarcasm in that joke. Because honestly, I’d be happy to visit Scotland at any time of the year. The scenery is stunning and the people are lovely. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to visit (wink, wink.)
But if you insist on visiting Scotland in July, here are a few reasons to talk you out of it.
It is too Bright
In July it stays light until without 10:00 p.m. at night and plane later the remoter north you go. How annoying. What can you possibly do with all that daylight? Take increasingly day trips? Go on long hikes? Have increasingly time to explore? Who needs all that? Don’t we just want increasingly time to sleep when we are on vacation? Ha, ha!
One night while I was staying on the Isle of Skye and talking to my husband on FaceTime, I showed him the sheep outside my door and he couldn’t believe how light it was at 10:30 p.m. You do need to remind yourself to go to bed but I’m a summer person so I love it. And if it REALLY bothers you, bring a sleep mask.
It Might Rain
It is true. It will probably rain. And maybe plane be windy. It is Scotland without all. I’m not sure you can stave that in any month. Scotland weather is very workalike and plane though summer isn’t the rainiest month, if you can make it through a trip to Scotland without seeing a little rain, count yourself lucky — I haven’t managed it yet.
But on my two trips to Scotland (once in July and once in September), I moreover had a few days of trappy undecorous skies. The point is, you need to be prepared for all sorts of weather, which is easy if you follow my Scotland packing list.
Places get Crowded
Schools in Scotland get out in late June and by mid-July in the rest of the United Kingdom so you can expect to see plenty of families on vacation. This will midpoint that you need to pre-book tickets to some attractions, such as Edinburgh Castle. Car parks at popular attractions and hikes may moreover fill up during the height of the day.
This can unquestionably get worrying so you need to plan virtually it. Make sure to read my Scotland travel tips and plan to get an early start when you want to visit popular trailheads or attractions like the Fairy Glen or Quirking.
But trust me, crowds in Scotland are still quite manageable. We aren’t talking well-nigh the throngs at the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum. With so much trappy country to explore, it isn’t nonflexible to get yonder from other people.
Hotels Get Expensive
If you know anything well-nigh economics, you know the laws of supply and demand. With the crowds come higher demand for a limited number of hotels, expressly in places like the Isle of Skye or the Outer Hebrides. When demand goes up, so does the price. You will need to plan early to find the increasingly user-friendly and affordable accommodations.
You can read my vendible to find out how much a trip to Scotland costs, but alimony in mind that staying in the countryside is cheaper than the cities and staying in a rental cottage or unappetizing versus hotels will moreover save you some money.
You Need Reservations
The thing well-nigh people is that they moreover want to eat. And on vacation, that ways restaurants. Some restaurants in the countryside might tropical at 8:00 p.m. or on unrepealable evenings, making it a little harder to satiate your want outside of the cities. Just make sure to plan superiority and make dinner reservations and you will be fine. Or, expect to eat a whole lot of fish and fries takeaway.
Midges Might Zest You
Midges, often tabbed No-See-Ums in the United States, are small wintry flying insects that are increasingly than annoying. Their small bites can moreover rationalization irritation and swelling, like a mosquito bite. You are expressly likely to encounter these nuisances in the Western Highlands and in sheltered and boggy areas.
The good part well-nigh rain is that it keeps the midges yonder and the potation weather encourages you to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to protect from the midges. You may moreover want to pick up some insect repellant and bring withal an insect net to put over your hat.
I lucked out when I was in Scotland in July and didn’t encounter any midges at all. Plane when I walked all the way wideness England on Hadrian’s Wall Path in August I didn’t encounter any, but I think I just got lucky. Usually all the wintry insects love to suck my blood.
There is Too Much Going On
You don’t want to do anything cultural, right? Spending a day peekaboo some local Highland Games sounds just awful…correct? Granted, August is plane busier with the Fringe Festival and Royal Tattoo. But July is still a happening time in July filled with festivals, concerts, garden and castle tours, and Highland Games.
So have I convinced you to stave Scotland in July? I hope not.
In all seriousness, July is a mythological time to visit Scotland. During the summer months, the stereotype temperatures are a upper of 59-63°F (15-17°C) and lows are between 47-52°F (8-11°C). Sure you may see some rain, but hopefully moreover some sunny skies. And yes, there will be increasingly people, but you just need to plan superiority a bit.
In fact, I might oppose that despite the whilom reasons, it is unquestionably quite lovely in Scotland in July.
Visiting Scotland? You may moreover be interested in…
- Scotland travel tips
- Scotland trip cost
- Scotland packing list
- 10-day Scotland road trip itinerary
- Things to do on the Isle of Skye
- 2 days in Edinburgh itinerary
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