My husband and I are planning a trip Dec. 19 - Jan. 2. We are flying into Manchester, England to see Man U play then heading up to Keswick and the Lake District. We are trying to decide about going up to the Highlands (Oban, Mull, Inveness) Scotland but I cannot find a lot of information on the weather this time of year. We are fine with cold weather, but will be driving so wondering if anyone knows much about snow and ice up there. We are planning to stay in a castle outside of Oban Christmas Eve - Christmas Day. I am also concerned from reading several other posts that nothing will be open this time of year in these small towns. But, the soccer will make this trip worth it :)
Posted by
Sacramento, CA, United States
35 posts
The highlands are a very cold place to be in December. Places really start rolling up their sidewalks in October. At least that was our experiance. If you like soccer you might want to be someplace where you can catch a game on Boxing Day. A lot of places stay closed the day after Christmas also.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
We enjoyed Edinburgh Inverness and Aviemore in December more than once. Yes, a bit cold- but not horrible. Got about 1 inch of snow one time, too! But a wonderful time to visit Scotland is New Years. They call it Hogmanay and it is bigger than Christmas for them. Lots of parades, fire twirling and bonfires, concerts, balls, etc. Edinburgh is especially nice (supposedly- it's on my bucket list!!). I personally wouldn't want to risk driving in the winter, but you can get around fairly well by train. Aviemore also has a big Christmas parade and the reindeer center does some special things then, too.