scotland in december - shoes, boots, please help

Scotland doesn't get much snow in the winter, so I doubt you'll need boots. In cold but not freezing weather (like you will most likely experience), a good pair of wool socks are usually sufficient.

Thank you for the help. Now I will go get the socks for what I suspect is a whole lot less money than boots for 4.

I bought a pair of winter walking boots from Keen. It is the Palermo model. They are water proof, keep your feet warm and dry, and are perfect for walking. I bought them for my Eastern European trip last year. The year before, I had a pair of Sorel boots, that were most likely for snowy weather. The model was Snow Angel. They were way to heavy, bulky, and not appropriate for my Amsterdam, Bruges, Paris trip. The blisters on the lateral part of my foot made walking a bit difficult. Look at Keen, look at Merrell. They have winter walking boots. They may not call them that but if you look at the soles, you will see that it may be what you are looking for.

PS- I've lived most of my life in places with cold winters, and I only wear winter boots on the rare occasions when I need to walk through fresh unpacked snow, or the even less common circumstance when I know I'm going to be outside in sub-freezing temperatures for long periods of time. If you wear too much insulation, your feet will sweat excessively, especially when you go indoors or do a lot of walking.

I write this assuming you are not planning any hikes across the open heathland. If so, you'll need something water-resistant (not waterproof) with good ankle support.

Right - we will drive out from Stirling daily to different places. Get out, see the sites/village/etc and drive again. Walking in towns, touristy places I guess mostly.

Your biggest problem will not be cold feet, but wet feet. The wool socks are a good idea, but also have waterproof footwear. The temperatures are not really cold - although compared to Florida, it WILL be cold! However, the dampness really eats into you and makes it feel colder than it really is. Having lived in both places, I would rather have -10F here in Alberta than +35F in Scotland.

Waterproof. Got it. Any suggestions from anyone on what brands to look at? Since I probably won't need them again or at least not much I would rather not spend a fortune on a pair.

I'd suggest layering your socks if you are concerned about the price. Even something as simple of tights and medium weight socks work or medium weight socks and ankle socks even. Plus it looks slightly better than thick hill walking socks if you are in a restaurant enjoying a nice meal.

Comfortable shoes are the key. I'd suggest 1 or 2 pairs in case one pair gets soaked in the day or for easy slip on access to walk down the hall for breakfast. Not necessarily slip ons but something that won't require you to lace up like hiking boots.

Well, until this past year, I would agree that Scotland does not get snow except in the Cairngorm, but that was not true this past year. They had snow in souther part of Scotland. Stirlingshire, Lothian, Fife, Perthshire all had snow. There were wild tales about gritting machines and lack of sale and slip sliding everywhere. So, read the forecast before you go.

Pam

I've been happy for years with Merrell shoes and boots. The current most-used pair is the Radius model. They're low-cut, waterproof, and provide excellent cushioning. They're not terribly smart looking, but they're my standard travel shoes -- usually the only ones I take. They're listed at merrell.com, for about a hundred bucks, but you can find them cheaper elsewhere.

I can't imagine anything except wool socks since wool provides warmth even when wet.

You could also try L.L. Bean. I got my New Balance Country Walkers from them and love them. They were worn almost every day of our three week European trip. Now, if I know I'm going to be on my feet all day, no other shoes will do.

I'm happy with my Rockport waterproofs. They are dressy enough and not to clunky looking. Christmas in Scotland...have a wee bit of magic.

Milder in uk than USA because of north Atlantic drift. Even so, it'll be dark, cold, wet and a bit windy. Hopefully not too icy and snowy. The former is more of a problem on pavements. Snow and ice clearing are very poor here - pavements were not cleared at all in Aberdeen last year despite bad winter. Layers, gloves. You may need boots if you are going for short walks (assuming from your question you're not planning hill-walking -if you are you'll need proper kit and a guide). Note - it get's dark early in the winter in Scotland - it 's quite far north.