The weather in Scotland doesn't differ that much from other areas in the UK although Scotland is a bit more cloudy, somewhat wetter and the average temperatures are lower, especially in the (far) north. The best of the sunshine is for Ayrshire and the south-west coast, Lothians, Angus and Fife, the least for the mountains in the Highland region. The average sunshine hours are at their maximum in May and June and the least in December and January. Because of the high latitude the winterdays are very short but are compensated with long summerdays with only 5 hours of “almost darkness”.

Rainfall is another key element of Scottish weather although it is not as bad as people sometimes tell you. Some areas receive about 3,000 mm per year (the western Highlands) and other areas only 800 mm per year (the east coast). Measurable rainfall occurs on over 250 days in the Highlands to 175 days per year in other parts.

The winds favourite direction is from the south-west and strong winds occur more often and are the strongest in the Western Isles and the north-west coast .

January and February are the coldest months with an average of around 5 to 7 °C where the summermonths have an average of about 19 Degr. C. The annual mean temperature on Ben Nevis (1344m) is -0,3C. Snowfall occurs on less than 20 days near the west-coast to more than 100 days in the Cairngorm Mountains mainly in the months December to March.

Weather Poetry (with a smile)

It rained and rained and rained and rained,
The average was well maintained;
And when our fields were simply bogs,
It started raining cats and dogs.
After a drought of half an hour,
There came a most refreshing shower;
And then the queerest thing of all,
A gentle rain began to fall.

Next day 'twas pretty fairly dry,
Save for a deluge from the sky.
This wetted people to the skin,
But after that the rain set in.
We wondered what's the next we'd get,
As sure as fate we got more wet.
But soon we'll have a change again,
And we shall have..... A drop of rain

Rainbow Isle of Mull